Claysburg Woman Charged In Husband's Sept. Death

A Claysburg woman has been jailed without bail in connection with the shooting death of her husband last September.

Nancy Lee Focht, 71, of Claysburg, Kimmel Township, was arrested on Sunday, Jan. 27, after admitting to fatally shooting her husband, 74-year-old David Glenn Focht Sr., in a shed at their home on Sept. 11, 2018.

According to police, they were dispatched to the Fochts' home along Mountain Penny Lane at approximately 2:35 p.m. on Sept. 11, to investigate an active domestic dispute with shots fired.

Police arrived to find David Focht had suffered a single gunshot wound to his right lower chest area and a silver Rossi M971 magnum revolver with rounds unloaded on a yellow swivel desk chair outside the shed.

Nancy Focht allegedly told police that she and her husband were struggling over the firearm after having a domestic dispute.

Nancy Focht allegedly told police that she and her husband had been arguing all day and were just outside the shed when her husband went into the house and returned with a gun.

Nancy Focht said she heard a "gun cock" and that David Focht took a shot at her and missed.

Nancy Focht told police she then began struggling with her husband and that during the struggle a second round went off, striking him in the chest.

Nancy Focht initially claimed that she did not shoot her husband and did not know how or why the gun went off.

David Focht was pronounced dead at the scene by Bedford County Coroner Rusty Styer.

Police interviewed Nancy Focht later that day at the State Police headquarters in Bedford.

Nancy Focht again told police that her husband took a shot at her and missed, and she tried to take the gun from him. She said the gun went off and her husband "went back" and sat in the yellow chair after being shot.

An autopsy performed the next day on David Focht found no evidence of powder burns on his clothing, contradicting Nancy Focht's earlier statement of the gun going off at close range during a struggle.

The autopsy showed that David Focht died from an "indeterminate-range perforating gunshot wound to the chest."

A ballistics analysis was completed and David Focht's clothes were analyzed for gunshot residue, nitrates and lead.

The tests determined that there was nothing present to collaborate Nancy Focht's story that the gunshot wound was contact, or near contact,

Police interviewed Nancy Focht again on Sunday, Jan. 27, and when presented with the evidence, allegedly admitted to bringing the firearm to the shed and shooting her husband.

She allegedly told police that after firing two shots at her husband, she placed the firearm on his leg and closed the double doors to the shed in an attempt to ensure no one saw what had occurred.

Nancy Focht was arraigned on Sunday before Magisterial District Judge Tonya Osman, Schellsburg, on charges of criminal homicide, aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. She also faces charges of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

She was committed to the Bedford County Jail without bail.