Chattanooga Woman Charged With First-Degree Murder in Husband's Shooting Death

A 63-year-old Chattanooga woman is jailed on a first-degree murder charge in the shooting death of her husband, Jeff Ochsner. According to a probable cause affidavit, Salomi Derena Ochsner called the Tillman County Sheriff’s Department Friday morning and reported the shooting, telling investigators she fired after her husband hit her repeatedly in the head when he returned home from hunting. She said she feared he would kill her. She told authorities she went to bed, woke up, and shot him several times.

Deputies found Jeff Ochsner’s body around 7 a.m. Friday at the home, located near the Comanche, Cotton and Tillman county lines. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation assisted the Tillman County Sheriff’s Department in the case, a common arrangement when a rural county faces a major investigation.

Her initial court appearance was set for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Tillman County District Court. For residents across that tri-county area, this case raises difficult questions about domestic violence, self-defense claims, and how the legal system handles both. If you or someone you know needs help, local domestic violence resources and the National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233) are available. What questions do you have about this case as it moves through the courts?