FORT RILEY, KS – In a chilling crime that shook a military community, a Kansas mother will spend nearly a quarter-century behind bars after gunning down her U.S. Army husband as he cradled their infant daughter and her older child looked on in horror.
Margaret E. Shafe, 31, received a 293-month sentence Friday after being convicted of second-degree murder in the shooting death of her husband, Greg Shafe, at their Fort Riley home on February 19. The sentence follows a Valentine’s Day jury verdict that found Margaret guilty of fatally shooting her spouse while their 11-month-old baby was in his arms and her 9-year-old daughter was close by.
Court documents revealed that Margaret threatened to kill her husband just minutes before carrying out the act. She was reportedly heard expressing anger and vowing to make him “feel [her] pain” in the moments leading up to the shooting.
Roughly 20 minutes after making those threats, Margaret retrieved her husband’s firearm and waited for him as he ascended to the second floor of their residence. As Greg reached the landing, she fired a single shot, striking him in the face as he held their infant. He collapsed into a nearby bathroom, startling his stepdaughter, who had been brushing her hair.
The young girl, upon witnessing the shooting, screamed and hurried to protect her sibling. She quickly contacted her biological father to report the incident, prompting an immediate call to emergency services. Fortunately, neither child suffered physical injury during the ordeal.
After the attack, Margaret, reportedly intoxicated, fled the scene with the children. She was apprehended by law enforcement a few hours later, off the military base.
Prosecutors noted in court filings that Margaret attempted to malign her husband’s character, accusing him of being a “porn addict” and implying inappropriate conduct, but no evidence supported these claims.
While detained in jail, Margaret reportedly showed little remorse for her actions. According to officials, she boasted about the killing and even held a macabre celebration for her late husband’s birthday.
The prosecution described the shooting as the end result of prolonged physical and emotional abuse within the marriage, with Margaret frequently intoxicated and making threats to take their child away, as documented in legal filings.
A key witness during the trial was the couple’s 9-year-old daughter, whose testimony was instrumental in securing the conviction.
Authorities emphasized the grave impact the tragedy has had on the couple’s surviving children and praised the courage of the young witness who recounted the events in court.
Margaret Shafe will serve her sentence in the custody of federal authorities, bringing a conclusion to a case that stunned the Fort Riley community and left two children without their parents.