Michigan Man Accused Of Murdering Wife With Shotgun On Fourth Of July

A Michigan man is under arrest after police found him standing near his dead wife with a shotgun still in his hands.

Michael Allison, 44, was taken into custody last Monday night after officers with the Raisin Charter Township Police Department responded to calls of a domestic dispute, according to a release obtained by CBS Toledo affiliate WTOL. Police believe Allison had used a shotgun to kill his wife, Nicole Allison, 27, outside their Raisin Township home when she tried to flee.

Police arrived at the scene at around 6:45 p.m. when a motorist flagged them down, according to ABC Toledo affiliate WTVG.

Prior to officials announcing the names of both suspect and victim, authorities described what they found when they arrived at the Gady Road crime scene, WTVG reported.

“They proceeded to the scene where they saw the victim laying [sic] in a ditch there and a white male that was standing near her with a shotgun,” said Police Chief Kevin Grayer. “Officers were able to talk him down to putting the shotgun down without incident.”

Officials said they believed Nicole was trying to escape the home when Michael allegedly confronted her outside the residence.

Michael allegedly confessed to shooting Nicole twice and admitted to punching her several times when she tried ending the relationship, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by local outlets and cited by Law & Crime.

For women in relationships involving inmate partner violence, the risk of danger increases when attempting to leave. According to a 2021 study by the Department of Justice, interviews with men convicted of killing their wives found that the common precipitator for murder was women trying to separate themselves from their abusers.

Witnesses who lived near the Allison home were interviewed by WTVG reporters, with one claiming he heard two gunshots around the vicinity where Nicole died. According to the neighbor, three boys living in the home had been playing outside earlier in the day.

Grayer called the murder “tragic,” telling reporters the children were now with their grandparents.

“This is a first in a long time for us. It’s very unfortunate; a holiday weekend for everybody involved,” said Grayer. “Not only just the kids and things like that, but the residents in the area. They know how to live in a secure area here in Raisin Township, so it’s very unfortunate. We don’t have many homicides like that.”

Michael Allison was charged with open murder and other firearm-related offenses, according to WTVG. He is being held at the Lenawee County Jail on a $10 million bond.

A probable cause conference is expected to take place on Thursday, according to Lenawee County WLEN-FM news radio, with a preliminary examination scheduled for July 21.