Virginia Woman Sentenced to 18 Years After Killing Her Mom and Texting Photo of Dead Body to Her Dad

The incident took place in 2013 on Black Friday.

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Complex Original

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A Chesapeake, Virginia woman has been ordered to serve 18 years in prison after she fatally shot her mother and sent a photo of the body to her dad, according to the Virginian-Pilot. Susan Lee Hutson, who reportedly suffered from congestive heart failure and diabetes, was shot by her daughter and apparent caregiver, Rachel Hutson, on the morning of November 29, 2013.

"I felt like I was just nothing," Rachel Hutson reportedly told the court, "and nobody really needed us." Rachel’s sister, Sarah, also testified and revealed that Rachel possibly suffers from an undiagnosed mental disorder. By Rachel’s account, she had actually planned to commit suicide that morning but ultimately decided that the discovery of her body would be "too hard" on her mother. The Virginian-Pilot reports that Rachel Hutson first attempted to call her father, who was apparently out shopping, before then sending the graphic photo:

On Nov. 29, 2013, Hutson called her father and said she shot her mother inside their Indian River home, according to court documents. He thought she was joking and hung up. Hutson then texted him a photo of her mother’s body.

Hutson was ultimately charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm, though she reportedly expressed her desire for a second chance to Circuit Judge Marjorie Taylor Arrington. "I don’t think I ever really had a chance," Hutson told the court. 

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