Pittsville woman found guilty of killing husband

After deliberating for nearly six hours a Wicomico County jury 33-year-old Shawna Hournbuckle of Pittsville guilty of killing her husband back in April of 2016.

The jury convicting Hournbuckle of second degree murder, first degree assault and other charges.

According to charging documents Hournbuckle originally claimed that her and her husband, 45-year-old Jeremy Nolin, were fighting the night before the incident and that Nolin attacked her once she went to bed. In response Hournbuckle claimed she grabbed a pairing knife and stabbed Nolin in his chest. 

Hournbuckle told authorities the next day she found Nolin's body covered in blood and cold to the touch, so she cleaned the wound and wrapped him in blanket before walking to the park where she later called the police.

However detectives later found inconsistencies in Hournbuckle's story. A crime scene investigation revealed a large butcher's knife covered in blood in a kitchen drawer.

Wicomico County State's Attorney Ella Disharoon said the defense claimed Hournbuckle was using self-defense and credited the jury for being able to parse through that to find the truth.

"The state and the family of the victim are very pleased with the verdict," Disharoon said. "We appreciate the jury's service and we think that this was a just outcome."

Hournbuckle's sentencing has been deferred pending a pre-sentencing investigation.