SHE CLAIMED SELF-DEFENSE AFTER SHOOTING HER FATHER — NOW SHE HAS ADMITTED TO MURDER

A New Mexico woman who initially told police that she shot her own father in self-defense has now changed her story in a stunning turn in the case.

Summer Coughran, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of murder Thursday, admitting that she killed her 65-year-old father, Kirk Coughran, in January. Her guilty plea comes months after she maintained that she had been defending herself during the late-night shooting.

The case began on January 20, when Albuquerque police responded to the family’s home in northwest Albuquerque after receiving reports of a shooting. At around 3 a.m., Coughran reportedly called 911 and told the dispatcher that she had shot her father.

When officers arrived, they found Kirk dead inside the home. Investigators later determined that he had already been dead for at least 15 hours before police arrived — raising even more questions about what had actually happened inside the house.

At first, Coughran claimed her father had attacked her and that the shooting was an act of self-defense. She later told investigators that her father had allegedly abused her for much of her life.

But detectives quickly began questioning her account.

According to police, there were inconsistencies in her story, including her inability to provide details about the alleged lifelong abuse or clearly explain what happened that night that made her fear for her life. Authorities also said her version of events did not match evidence found at the scene.

Investigators also uncovered previous incidents involving Coughran and her family. Police records reportedly included allegations that she had previously been the aggressor in conflicts with relatives, while her father had declined to press charges in some incidents.

Despite the doubts surrounding her story, Coughran continued with the self-defense argument for months. She was denied bail in April and had been scheduled to stand trial for her father’s murder in early 2027.

Now, that trial will never happen.

Instead, after changing her plea and admitting to murder, Coughran is expected to be sentenced early next year.

The case leaves behind one major question: What really happened inside the family home during those final hours before Kirk Coughran’s death — and why did his daughter initially insist that she had acted in self-defense?

Read the full story to see what investigators discovered and what ultimately caused Coughran to abandon her self-defense claim.

Source: Law&Crime Law&Crime — Full Story