'A legitimate claim of self-defense': Years of abuse led Tampa mother to kill husband, state attorney says
TAMPA, Fla. - The second-degree murder charge brought against a Tampa mother who claimed she killed her husband in self-defense back in 2018 has been dropped.
Sabrina Hendley said she spent years being a battered spouse – and prosecutors now say they believe her.
Gun used by Sabrina Hendley in husband's shooting
Hendley’s attorney, Todd Foster, said Hillsborough State attorney Andrew Warren took a second look at Hendley's case and saw it for what it was – self-defense.
Foster recalled Warren's sentiment toward the case, saying, "'You know what? We are not going to go forward anymore. We are going to dismiss the case."
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Foster said his client suffered for years under the abusive hands of her husband, Mark Hendley.
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Witnesses describe Sabrina Hendley as hysterical moments after prosecutors say she shot her husband Mark Hendley during a pool party in May of 2018. Her attorney says investigators were deceptive when they interviewed her after the shooting.
"She was suffering under this battered spouse syndrome," said Foster.
In May 2018, the abuse became too much for Sabrina to endure. Investigators said Mark Hendley began waving a knife during a small gathering at their home.
Mark Hendley was shot and killed at his family home in Tampa
Later, he attacked Sabrina's father, Mike Irwin.
Prosecutors said Sabrina grabbed a gun and fatally shot her husband.
Last year, during a 'Stand Your Ground' hearing, her attorneys said Sabrina was in fear for her life.
Prosecutors argued that Sabrina's story changed.
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Hendley was arrested and taken to the police station -- still wearing her bikini from the pool party -- and questioned. But during a virtual hearing, her defense attorney said the now-43-year-old was not in the right state of mind to be interrogated, much less give her consent.
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Sabrina allegedly told detectives she wanted her husband to apologize, but when he didn’t, she saw a gun sitting on the bed and took the shot.
Sabrina Hendley was denied immunity.
Standing by her side the entire time was Jewelry business owner Julie Weintraub. She is also the founder of Hands Across the Bay, which provides a safe haven for families in crisis, battered woman, and victims of human trafficking.
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"Julie has been an unyielding advocate for battered women," explained Foster.
After dropping the charges, Warren said in a statement, "had we known then about the domestic violence Ms. Hendley suffered at her husband’s hands, she would have never been charged in the first place. She had a legitimate claim of self-defense."