A Kansas army wife will spend decades behind bars over the murder of her husband, who was supposed to have been deployed overseas at the time of his death.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas announced on Friday, Sept. 26, that Margaret E. Shafe, 31, will spend more than 24 years in a federal prison for the murder of her husband, Greg Shafe.
On Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, court records indicated that a jury found Shafe guilty of murder in the second degree. Her sentencing came after an investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
According to prosecutors, on Feb. 19, 2024, Margaret shot Greg in the face at their Fort Riley home while her two children, aged 9 and 1, were home. The shooting took place following an argument between the couple.
Greg Shafe was Scheduled to Deploy Overseas but Stayed Back to Help Care for Margaret and Their Newborn
According to the U.S. Army’s Stars and Stripes, Greg Shafe, who was 35 at the time of his murder, had been scheduled to deploy to Poland on Feb. 19, 2024. However, he stayed home to help care for Margaret and their newborn child, who was still in the NICU.
Court records showed he died the following day. They also revealed that Margaret’s 9-year-old daughter called her biological father after the murder and told him what happened. The biological father, who lived in Nebraska at the time, called the police.
Law enforcement officials indicated that Margaret was arrested after she left the gates of the military base and immediately turned back around with her two children in the front seat of Greg’s truck. She was found to have been drinking at the time.
Margaret Told Investigators She Believed Greg Had Been Watching and Grew Concerned
Investigators noted that an audio recording was found on Greg’s phone after the shooting. In it, Margaret could be heard saying that she hated him and hoped he would die. After Margaret’s arrest, court documents showed that Shafe told investigators she thought Gregory had been watching child pornography and was concerned.
“Margaret Shafe deserves to go to prison,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. ” The evidence in this case showed, she murdered her husband while the couple’s two young daughters were in the home. The Court heard brave testimony from Ms Shafe’s own daughter, who witnessed her mother shoot her stepfather in a fury.”
