A Mississippi couple, Tanya and James Saucier, finalized their divorce papers at the Pearl River County Chancery Courthouse. Tanya, however, waited for her estranged husband to leave the courthouse and allegedly shot him. Chaos ensued at the courthouse, with several witnesses attempting to save James' life and authorities arresting Tanya on the spot. She was later charged with first-degree murder.
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The alleged shooting took place on Tuesday, December 17, at around 12:15 p.m. Earlier that day, at around 10 a.m., Tanya was summoned to appear in front of a judge and was instructed to leave immediately, according to the Daily Mail. However, Tanya decided to wait for James, who was scheduled to arrive and finalize their paperwork one hour later. Reportedly, she was not pleased with the divorce terms negotiations.
"The meeting for the Saucier's and their attorneys with the judge to finalize the divorce proceedings was an impromptu, unscheduled meeting," Maj. Scott Allee, Pearl River County Sheriff's Office Lead Investigator told WLOX.
"Once James was leaving the building, that is when Tanya Saucier allegedly shot James," Jansen Owen, Tanya's divorce attorney, told the outlet. "I was leaving the building, Mr. James Ray was leaving right behind me, at which point I heard gunfire."
According to Owen, after he determined Tanya had opened fire, he witnessed Tanya "continue to shoot at Mr. James Ray." "She approached me, at which point I grabbed her and held her against the vehicle," Owen said.
Many rushed to attempt to save James' life, but he died as a result of his injuries. Authorities arrested Tanya and charged her with first-degree murder.
A History Of Abuse
Back in August, James Saucier was indicted on aggravated assault and domestic violence with a deadly weapon, according to the Daily Mail. Before, in 2023, Tanya had filed for divorce after James allegedly shot her in the eye. Fox 8 reported that James allegedly shot her four times in the chest too. James' trial was scheduled for March 2025.
Jansen Owen, however, states that Tanya's actions were unjustified. "We do not do vigilante justice in America. What Miss Saucier did yesterday is unjustifiable and I witnessed her murder him," Owen said. "There is no justification, there is no excuse for anybody to open fire on somebody in a public setting like that."
