New details have emerged in a case against a Colorado man who claimed he "accidentally" shot his wife in the chest while "clearing his gun" and then "attempted CPR for about an hour" before dialling 911.
David O'Grady, 37, stands accused of one count each of murder in the first degree and domestic violence, according to Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office records. The incident took place on the morning of Sept. 7, at the couple's residence on Shawnee Way in Aurora. The shooting claimed the life of O'Grady's 29-year-old wife, Taylor Dawn Last.
At the time of his initial arrest, O'Grady said he waited approximately an hour to call for help because of his CPR attempts . Now, however, authorities believe he waited several hours before making that phone call to 911.
O'Grady Told Dispatcher He Accidentally Shot His Wife While Clearing His Gun
According to the initial charging document, O'Grady told a dispatcher he was "clearing his gun last night, but accidentally discharged his firearm and hit his wife in the chest." While dispatchers heard the hourlong version of the story, O'Grady allegedly told responding sheriff's deputies his wife had been dead for several hours by the time they arrived at around 7:45 a.m.
At the time of the shooting, the couple's two children, a 6-year-old and a 4-year-old, were sleeping in the house, as well as O'Grady's mother.
Last's Body was 'Cold and Stiff to the Touch' Suggesting She Had Been Dead for Several Hours
When deputies arrived at the scene, they found Last "lying on her back on the ground, with her left arm on her chest," the affidavit noted. The document described the victim's body as "cold and stiff to the touch, indicating that Taylor had been dead for a while."
In his initial interview, O'Grady allegedly admitted he and Last had been arguing about some kind of a party. As the argument unfolded, "David said he knew the gun was loaded, fired a round into the bed, and then, as Taylor was coming into the room, aimed it in Taylor's direction and pulled the trigger," according to the affidavit. Last was struck in the chest by the bullet and died, authorities say.
The couple's children allegedly told investigators they heard "loud arguing" and a "bang" that caused them to "jump" out of bed, the affidavit says.
The children also allegedly said they saw O'Grady "had thrown something" at Last and then she fell "onto the bed with her hands up in the air," the affidavit alleges. The couple's children also said they saw "[b]roken colorful things" on the ground in the immediate aftermath, authorities allege. But, notably, "none" of those purported items were visible when law enforcement arrived.
