HAMILTON — A Middletown woman accused of shooting and killing her sister last month has entered an insanity plea.
Monica Ann Pennington, 48, of 1607 Lafayette Ave., was charged with murder and felonious assault for the death of her sister, Pamela Pennington. The 52-year-old woman was found dead in the living room of the residence after Monica called 911, according to Middletown police.
During a pretrial hearing last week in Butler County Common Pleas Court, defense attorney David Brewer entered a not guilty by reason of insanity plea for Pennington.
Brewer also said Pennington is not competent to stand trial.
Judge Keith Spaeth ordered a psychological evaluation, and Pennington is scheduled to be back in court on Nov. 30 for a hearing about the result of that evaluation.
Pennington is being held in the Butler County Jail in lieu of a $650,000 bond.
At Pennington’s arraignment, Assistant Butler County Prosecutor Dan Phillips said the sisters were involved in a physical fight, which was not uncommon in their lives, when Monica walked into her sister’s bedroom, grabbed her pistol, walked back to her sister and pointed it at her.
“Her sister said, ‘You are not going to shoot me,’ and she shot her,” Phillip said. “The defendant indicated after that it was going to be a murder-suicide, but she did not go through with the suicide part.”
Middletown dispatchers received a call at about 8:40 a.m. on Oct. 20 from a woman who identified herself as Monica. She said she had shot her sister, who was in the living room.
“I shot her. She was beating me,” the caller said. “She wouldn’t leave me alone.”
According to the complaint signed by Detective Kristy Hughes, Pennington said during an interview that “she and her sister were involved in a physical altercation. The defendant went into the bedroom, retrieved a gun and shot her sister in the living room.”
