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Charges reduced against woman who shot husband
Friday, June 12, 2009

Mark and Vickie Lanor Kubin have been reunited, nine days after she was arrested on charges that she shot him in the head during an argument at their Washington County home.

Mrs. Kubin spent eight days in jail before she was released yesterday on an unsecured bond of $250,000.

She had been charged June 3 with attempted homicide and aggravated assault, both felonies that were withdrawn yesterday in a plea agreement with prosecutors.

Instead, she is expected to plead guilty in court to charges of reckless endangerment and simple assault, both misdemeanors.

Assistant District Attorney Dennis Popojas said the agreement still must be approved by a Common Pleas Court judge.

The agreement calls for Mrs. Kubin, 35, to serve 12 to 23 months of probation, and she will be ordered to undergo extensive psychological counseling.

Mr. Kubin, 38, has refused to testify against his wife, the prosecutor said.

"The victim was not cooperating with the investigation, and he is the only witness besides [Mrs. Kubin]," Mr. Popojas said this morning.

"[Mr. Kubin] signed off on the agreement. We counseled him extensively about it, but it was what he wanted."

The charges stem from the incident just before 2 a.m. June 3 as the couple argued in their home on Fox Stop Road in Fallowfield.

As Mr. Kubin lay in bed, Mrs. Kubin brandished a 9mm pistol.

"I wanted to make my point known," Mrs. Kubin told state police who responded to her 911 call.

A bullet that had been intended as a warning shot struck Mr. Kubin in the head.

Mrs. Kubin was tending to the wound while on the phone with emergency dispatchers when medics arrived at the residence.

Mr. Popojas said Mr. Kubin told state troopers that his wife had been depressed and that the shooting was an accident.

Without Mr. Kubin's cooperation in the case, it would have been difficult to make a bigger case against his wife, Mr. Popojas said.

"He specifically indicated that he just wanted her to come home," Mr. Popojas said.

"Our office came to a fair resolution of the matter," he continued. "We had to press forward because of the seriousness of charges."

The pistol was confiscated and it will be destroyed, the prosecutor said.

Jim McKinnon can be reached at 412-263-1939, or at jmckinnon@post-gazette.com.
First published on June 12, 2009 at 11:43 am