LOUISA COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A Louisa County woman has been convicted of second-degree murder in connection to the shooting death of her boyfriend in 2022.
According to a release form the Louisa County Commonwealth’s Attorney, a jury found 56-year-old Jacquelie Bledsoe guilty of the murder of 59-year-old Melvin Hansen on Thursday, Sept. 21 after a two-day trial.
At around 9 p.m. on June 4, 2022, Hansen sent a text message to Bledsoe telling her that he wanted to end their relationship.
Around three hours and twenty minutes later, Bledsoe called the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office and said that she had shot someone an hour earlier and that she “didn’t know what to do about that.” She also said that the victim had attacked her.
Police determined that, after shooting Hansen in her barn, Bledsoe left her home, drove around and went to a friends house, she then brought the friend hack to the shooting scene. At one point, Bledsoe moved Hansen’s body from the barn.
It was also determined that Bledsoe recruited friends to go to her home and obtain items not taken by the sheriff’s office during the investigation.
Bledsoe took the stand during the trial, saying that she was scared and was forced to shoot Hansen. She said that he choked her and pushed her down several times, but did not show any injuries to support her defense.
“It is a tragedy she shot a man in cold blood,” said Louisa Commonwealth’s Attorney Rusty McGuire. “It only made it worse that she spent the past year trying to portray the father of three as a violent man. Fortunately, the jury saw through her lies.”
In addition to the second-degree murder charge, Bledsoe was found guilty of using a firearm while committing a felony. She is set to be sentenced on Jan. 10, 2024 and is facing up to 43 years in prison.
