Old woman with terminal illness fatally shot former daughter-in-law over custody dispute

July 30, 2024 Sharon Banks

In a tragic incident in New York City, a terminally ill woman fatally shot her former daughter-in-law before turning the gun on herself, according to police.

The deadly confrontation revolved around the custody battle of a 4-year-old child shared by the victim, 45-year-old Marisa Galloway, and the son of the assailant, 65-year-old Kathleen Leigh.

Marisa Galloway, a special education teacher and track coach at Fordham University, was seen on surveillance footage placing her 1-year-old daughter in the backseat of a white Honda Civic on East 88th Street, near the mayor’s Gracie Mansion, on a Friday morning. As she was putting a stroller in the car, Leigh, a retired probation officer battling terminal cancer, approached and shot Galloway in the head. After Galloway fell, Leigh shot her again in the lower back to confirm the kill before shooting herself.

Fortunately, the 1-year-old child in the car was not physically harmed in the incident.

Leigh had a note labeled “For Police” in her pants, although the contents of the letter were unclear. At a press conference, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny revealed that police had received five domestic incident reports and two complaint reports related to the parties involved. However, none of these reports led to arrests. The allegations, reportedly against Galloway, were found to be unsubstantiated.

Meryl Feidelman, a neighbor, said that Galloway had previously mentioned being harassed by her ex-husband, leading to child services visiting her home.

A law-enforcement source expressed shock at the nature of the crime, saying, “She took away the child’s mother in order to make her son happy … it’s shocking. I’ve seen a lot of s–t but this is biblical s–t.”

Galloway was remembered fondly by friends and family. A GoFundMe campaign described her as a dedicated mother whose kindness, generosity, and love touched everyone she met. “Marisa’s untimely passing will leave a void in all of our lives. But her memory will live on in her daughters and in all of our hearts,” the campaign stated.

This heartbreaking event underscores the devastating impact of unresolved domestic issues and the extreme measures individuals may take, leaving lasting scars on families and communities.