Woman Takes Plea After Shooting Her Husband

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A Baltimore woman accused of first-degree murder for shooting her husband took a plea deal before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Cynthia Jones.

Teresa Henry-Cooper, 41, was initially charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm during a violent crime in connection to an incident on Oct. 28, 2020.

Henry-Cooper chose to take a plea deal for 20 years for second-degree murder and 10 years with five years without the possibility of parole for use of a firearm during a violent crime to be served concurrently.

Henry-Cooper said she shot her husband Stephen Cooper as a result of years of abuse.

Henry-Cooper’s defense attorney Anne Stewart-Hill argued that Henry-Cooper was a victim of spousal abuse and, according to doctors, was suffering from battered-wife syndrome.

She had undergone a traumatic life including other abuse as a child and a difficult time in the foster care system, Stewart-Hill told Judge Jones.

Henry-Cooper previously admitted herself to Sheppard Pratt Hospital because of suicidal thoughts.

In the victim impact statements, the victim’s family continuously spoke about how they did not understand why Henry-Cooper would commit this crime.

“No excuse. You did wrong. You took my brother. You not right. You know you not right,” one of the victim’s brothers said during his impact statement. The brother said Henery-Cooper called him that night and told him she was going to kill his brother.

Several members said they never knew she was being abused. Some of the family stated that they knew about problems that arose in the couple’s relationship but disagreed with the resolution Henry-Cooper chose.

According to counsel, domestic violence charges on Cooper’s record, including one charge that was dismissed and one charge that was pending at the time of his death. Henry-Cooper had a restraining order on her husband at the time of the shooting.

Henry-Cooper maintained that she loved her husband, saying she did what she needed to do to stay alive, Multiple family members expressed disapproval with her statements and left the courtroom.