A domestic dispute in a quiet Michigan coastal community turned deadly late Monday night, leading to the arrest of a woman for the murder of her husband.
Melissa Christine Ragen, 32, is behind bars, facing charges of open murder and felony firearm after allegedly shooting her 31-year-old husband, James Thomas Ragen IV, in the chest following an argument.
According to a press release from the Iosco County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, gunfire rang out just before 11 p.m. at the couple’s AuSable Township home. Oscoda Township Police and EMS responded to the scene on Second Street, finding Mr. Ragen suffering from a single gunshot wound. Despite immediate life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead just minutes later, at 11:13 p.m.
The prosecutor’s office stated that Melissa Ragen, in her own words, “was in an argument with her husband when she retrieved a .357 caliber revolver and shot him in the chest.”
Ms. Ragen was arraigned Tuesday in the 81st District Court for Iosco County, where she entered a plea of not guilty to the charges.
Court records reveal a history between the couple, including a paternity lawsuit filed by Ms. Ragen in 2019 that legally established Mr. Ragen as the father of a child in 2020. The couple is believed to have multiple children together.
No one else was harmed in the shooting. Melissa Ragen is scheduled for a probable cause conference on October 14, followed by a preliminary examination on October 28. She remains in custody as the investigation continues into the tragic end of a marital dispute.
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