Continuance granted in murder trial

Apr. 23—A trial for a woman who told dispatchers she shot her husband "in an effort to escape a domestic violence situation" was continued for a second time.

Cynthia Agnew, 55, was charged with first-degree murder for the Jan. 19, 2023, shooting death of her husband, 59-year-old Jan Michael Agnew, according to documents filed by the District 18 District Attorney's Office.

Agnew was bound over for trial in August 2023 for the first-degree murder with the trial initially scheduled for the January 2024 docket.

A motion to continue the January trial was granted by Associate District Judge Tim Mills "to allow more time to investigate" and was moved to the May 2024 trial docket.

Court records show Mills granted a second motion for continuance filed on April 19 by the defense "without objection" from prosecutors.

The case is now currently set for the August 2024 trial docket.

A probable cause affidavit filed in the case states a woman, identified as Cynthia Agnew, told dispatchers she had shot her husband twice "in an effort to escape a domestic violence situation."

"Dispatch stated that the female refuses to go back into the residence to check on the husband due to being afraid he is angry and will shoot her," the affidavit states. "Dispatch also informed us that both parties were heavily intoxicated."

After deputies arrived, the woman told deputies her husband and the gun were both in the kitchen and that she was unsure "if he had control of the weapon," the affidavit states.

The man was found unresponsive in the residence with at least two gunshot wounds, the report states.

Deputies then detained the woman with PCSO Deputy James Pitts writing in his report the woman told him "she deserved to be in jail."

Pitts wrote in his report he did not see any visible injuries on the woman with Cynthia Agnew telling the deputy there was no physical altercation before the shooting and that it was all verbal.

A 9mm handgun was found inside the residence that contained "five live rounds of full metal jacket 9mm ammunition," the affidavit states.

"There was a spent casing still in the barrel in the chamber that did not eject, likely due to an extremely close contact shot," Pitts wrote in his report.

Jail records show the woman continues to be held in the Pittsburg County Jail on a $1 million bond.