Cheryl Garner Medlin, 75, was killed at her home on Spruce Pine Trail in Durham, North Carolina, on December 11, 2022, after being shot in the head. Authorities say the shooter was her daughter, 51-year-old Paula Lee Decoteau, who allegedly fired once into Medlin’s forehead following an argument in the early hours of the morning. Two other people in the house heard the argument and the gunshot and reported that Decoteau took their phones and kept them from leaving for about 30 minutes before allowing them to call 911.

Medlin was taken to Duke Hospital and died later that evening. Decoteau was arrested and initially charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, two counts of second-degree kidnapping and assault on a government official after allegedly kicking a deputy during the arrest; after Medlin’s death, first-degree murder charges were added. She was held in the Orange County Detention Center on a $500,000 bond. Investigators described the shooting as a domestic incident and said there was no danger to the broader community.

Neighbors and acquaintances described Medlin as kind and well liked. Does anyone have information about Cheryl Garner Medlin or about what happened that night?