Columbus woman pleads in boyfriend’s fatal shooting heard on cell phone call
A Columbus woman has pleaded guilty in her live-in boyfriend’s fatal shooting that police said a witness overheard on a cell phone call.
Vickie Chavez, 54, also know as Vickie Sue Perez, pleaded guilty Monday to voluntary manslaughter and using a gun to commit a felony in the Feb. 20, 2019, death of John Allport, whom she shot in the 2950 Tip Top Drive house the two were to share, authorities said.
Chavez had been charged with murder in Allport’s case.
Superior Court Judge Arthur Smith III sentenced her to 25 years in prison with 15 to serve and the rest on probation, said her attorney, Stacey Jackson.
Columbus police have said Chavez and Allport in 2019 rekindled a relationship after having known each other in their youth, and planned to live together in the Tip Top Drive home.
Chavez told police the pair had a dispute the day of the shooting, and she had locked Allport out of the house before climbing back in through a window, where she shot him, investigators said.
But a witness returning a missed cell phone call to Allport told detectives he overheard the shooting, and it happened while Allport was hiding in a closet, after he got in through the window, officers said.
The witness, a semi-retired doctor from LaGrange, Ga., told police he overheard Perez say, “Get the f—k out of my house! I’m going to kill your a—!” Then he heard Allport reply, “Don’t do that! Don’t shoot me!” followed by the gunshot, Detective Jason Carden testified during Chavez’ 2019 Columbus Recorder’s Court hearing.
Investigators determined the witness’ call to Allport occurred three minutes before Perez called 911 at 3:29 p.m. to report the shooting, Carden said. Allport, 55, was pronounced dead at the scene at 4 p.m.
The witness later died, but gave a deposition recounting what he had heard for the court record, said Jackson, Chavez’ attorney.