Insets: Ebony Owens and the Big Black River in Hinds County, Miss., where her body was discovered in 2023 (Hinds County Sheriff’s Office). Background: Michael Owens giving testimony during his wife Ebony Owens’ murder trial in Hinds County, Miss., last week (WLBT).
A man from Mississippi confessed on the witness stand to fatally shooting his wife and disposing of her body in a river, telling jurors, “She made me snap,” as reported.
Michael Owens, 37, from Edwards, is facing charges of murder and arson related to the 2023 killing of his wife, Ebony Owens. Her “burned” vehicle was discovered near their residence, and her body was later retrieved from the Big Black River after she went missing, according to police statements.
“When I shot her, I said, ‘Baby, don’t die. Don’t leave me. Don’t die,'” Michael Owens claimed in court last Thursday, as reported by local ABC affiliate WAPT.
“She made me snap,” he told jurors.
Owens asserted that the couple had been in a dispute when Ebony grabbed a gun, prompting him to shoot, according to WAPT. Investigators indicate this is one of several narratives Owens provided following Ebony’s disappearance.
“I just, I feared for my life,” Owens stated in court, according to NBC affiliate WLBT. “Fearing for my life, I grabbed my gun. When I pointed my gun back, she turned her head, and that’s when I shot her.”
Owens added, “I was so mad I just shot her — shot her in the head.”
His lawyers have argued that there is not enough evidence to prove Owens premeditated the murder of his wife and set her car on fire, which prompted the arson charge, according to reports. Owens said Thursday that he regrets what allegedly happened.
“A marriage is not easy,” he claimed, according to WAPT. “A marriage is what you make of it. A marriage is a job. We had our ups and downs, our differences.”
Owens’ murder trial is expected to continue through the week, with closing arguments scheduled for Monday, per WLBT.
