“I wish they could have worked out their problems in a peaceful way,” says the victim’s brother-in-law.
Within minutes after finalizing their divorce, a woman in Mississippi was arrested outside the courthouse for allegedly fatally shooting her now ex-husband.
His trial for allegedly shooting her back in August was set to begin next year.
James Ray Saucier was shot and killed at approximately 12:15 p.m. in the entryway of the Pearl River Chancery Courthouse in Poplarville, Mississippi on December 17, . His estranged wife, 49-year-old Tanya Saucier, was apprehended almost immediately, per New Orleans Fox affiliate WVUE.
She has been charged with murder. It is not known when she will make her first court appearance, where she would likely enter a plea. The Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the complicated case.
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Tanya Allegedly Shoots James
“I was handling some paperwork when things went crossways,” said James’ attorney Don Rafferty, who told Biloxi’s ABC/CBS affiliate WLOX he was just inside the courthouse finalizing the proceedings when the shooting occurred.
According to Rafferty, personnel from inside the courthouse quickly rushed to the scene of the shooting in an attempt to render aid. “There were a couple of people who got out there trying to save his life, including women who worked in the Chancery Clerk’s office,” he said. “They went above and beyond trying to save his life.”
Speaking with WVUE, Saucier’s brother-in-law Wordie Carroll said of those workers, “They held him until the end, comforting him, keeping him quiet and comfortable.”
Tanya’s attorney, State Representative Jansen Owens, told the outlet he was walking out of the courthouse when his client opened fire. “Basically, I left the courthouse and she opened fire. I did ultimately subdue her at which point she made threats against me,” he added.
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Leaning on his military training and first aid experience, Owens said he “grabbed her and put my knee in her back until law enforcement took over,” kicking the gun away. He also said he attempted to administer first aid to James, who ultimately died on the scene.
Speaking after the fatal shooting, James’ brother-in-law Wordie Carroll told WLOX, “I wish they could have worked out their problems in a peaceful way, I wish they had God in the center of their hearts so that every decision they made was based on, ‘What would Jesus do?’”
One of James sisters-in-law, Johanna Peterson, told WVUE the family is “is in shock, as well as frustrated and enraged.”
“She was right there with her attorney and shot him 9-10 times,” she told the news station. “She’s taken seven grandchildren’s grandfather away from them. He has a daughter and a son.”
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James Allegedly Shoots Tanya
According to court documents seen by WVUE, James had been indicted in August 2024 on charges of aggravated assault and domestic violence with a deadly weapon. These stemmed from accusations that he had shot his then-wife five times, including once in the face.
Speaking of that past incident, Rafferty said, “My client said he was defending himself. And you saw what happened today.”
Peterson also referred to the previous alleged shooting, saying of Tanya, “She lost her eye. She claimed he tried to kill her. James Ray said it was self-defense.”
The truth of that story may never come out now. James’ trial in the alleged shooting of his wife was scheduled for trial, with a start date for March 4, 2025, according to the courthouse.
“In the back of our mind, we were worried… his sister, his family… he has one living brother, they suspected it and they begged and pleaded for the sheriff’s department to do something,” Peterson told WLOX.
“When the first domestic violence happened, she was supposed to get arrested as well,” she added. “For some reason, we don’t know why, that never happened.”
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