Forty-five minutes after murdering his wife, a man walked into a police station admitting to committing the crime and was subsequently arrested.
According to police, Hercelyn Mayo, 54, said he shot and killed his wife, Charon Mayo, 52, after having an argument. When deputies arrived at their home, his wife was found in bed dead from multiple gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Investigators later learned Hercelyn had left the scene shortly after the shooting and drove to a relative’s home before going to the police department to report the incident,” police documents say.
Hercelyn first appeared in court on Jan. 18 where it was revealed that after shooting his wife, she drove to his brother’s house to tell him that he “had done something bad.”
“Only upon contacting police did [Hercelyn’s] brother know what had occurred,” court documents state.
Police added that the suspect and his wife were quarrelling for days because she wanted a divorce. In an interview with investigators, he said that the victim’s gun was “not on her nightstand, and as he was leaving the bedroom, he saw her reach for something,” according to a FOX 10 Phoenix report.
“[Hercelyn] said seeing this he fired his gun once or twice from the doorway,” court documents say. When he fired shots, he said he put the gun on the bed.
Officials believe the blood spatter on Herceyln’s shirt shows he was closer to his wife when he shot her. Shell casings found by the doorway also indicate that the “wound appeared to be caused from a close shot.”
“The victim was laying on her side and was under the comforter and sheets of the bed as if she was asleep or preparing to go to sleep,” when she was found, according to court documents.
Hercelyn, a convicted felon, has been charged with first-degree murder.
“When asked about the convictions, he admitted he was aware he was not allowed to own, possess or use a gun but he did anyway for his safety,” court documents say.
Hercelyn is currently in jail and is being held on a $1 million bond.
