Woman is found guilty of murdering her fiance's ex-wife

May 2024 ยท 3 minute read

An Oklahoma woman has been found guilty of killing her fiance's ex-wife with a shotgun blast to the face in order to end a drawn-out custody battle.

Jurors deliberated for four hours before convicting Sonia Weidenfelder, 35, of first-degree murder in the 2016 slaying of 39-year-old Debra Morgan.

Prosecutors announced on Friday that the jury recommended a life sentence for Weidenfelder.

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Sonia Weidenfelder, 35 Debra Morgan, 39

Guilty: Sonia Weidenfelder, 35 (left), has been convicted of first-degree murder in the 2016 shooting death of her fiance's ex, Debra Morgan, 39 (right) 

Grisly scene: Morgan's 11-year-old son found his mother dead from a shotgun blast to the face in their home in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (pictured) 

Grisly scene: Morgan's 11-year-old son found his mother dead from a shotgun blast to the face in their home in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (pictured) 

Investigators said that Weidenfelder conspired with her boyfriend, 44-year-old Rick Spaulding, to kill Morgan so that he would be granted custody of their 11-year-old son. 

Spaulding also has been charged with first-degree murder in Morgan's killing. 

Morgan, a mother-of-two from Broken Arrow, was found dead on November 7, 2016, in her home in the 4400 block of West Quincy Street.

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Morgan and Spaulding's young son made the grisly discovery and called the authorities. 

The state medical examiner said in court that Morgan was shot in the right side of her face with a shotgun that was fired a foot from the target. It is believed that Spaulding had purchased the murder weapon for Morgan. 

Co-conspirator: Morgan's ex-husband, Rick Spaulding, 44 (pictured), also has been charged with first-degree murder in her killing

Co-conspirator: Morgan's ex-husband, Rick Spaulding, 44 (pictured), also has been charged with first-degree murder in her killing

According to the testimony, the victim did not die right away and spent her final moments gasping for air, reported Tulsa World.

During a preliminary hearing held last August, a co-worker of Morgan's testified that the woman said at one point: 'If I end up dead, go find Rick [Spaulding].'

Another one of Spaulding's ex-wives told the court that Spaulding wanted to harm Morgan by tampering with her brake line, or throw explosives into her parents' yard.

Weidenfelder had searched online for 'breaking news' and 'Broken Arrow murder' before Morgan's death was made public, according to court records. 

Days before her death, Fox 23 found documents which showed a court of appeals filed in her Morgan's favor in the custody battle.

It was reported to have ordered Spaulding to pay Morgan tens of thousands of dollars in court costs related to the case.

Morgan was also said to have written a macabre note a month before her death, in which she claimed her ex-husband abused her physically, mentally and emotionally.

'He was smooth and had me fearing everything he said would come true,' Morgan said in the letter.

Weidenfelder's sentencing is scheduled for June 1.  Spaulding is due back in court on June 4.  

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