Melissa Clay, a 37-year-old woman, died from a gunshot wound to the chest in her Baton Rouge, Louisiana, home on the evening of October 13, 2016. The circumstances surrounding her death led to the arrest of her 20-year-old son, Dexter Clay, who was the sole suspect in the incident.
According to reports from the East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a call about a shooting in the 4100 block of East Brookstown. Upon arrival, they discovered Melissa Clay on her living room floor with a gunshot wound. Her son, Dexter, was at the scene, applying pressure to the wound in an attempt to render aid. He informed the officers that he had accidentally shot his mother.
Dexter Clay recounted a tumultuous series of events that preceded the fatal shot. He told investigators that he and his mother had been involved in an argument, during which she asked him to leave her house and began hitting him. He stated that as he was attempting to leave, his mother struck him with a bicycle tire air pump. During this physical altercation, a gun that was in his pocket fell to the floor, causing the magazine to detach.
As Dexter bent down to retrieve the magazine, he claimed his mother pushed him onto a sofa and bit him on the chest. After reinserting the magazine into the firearm, he alleged that his mother hit him in the head with the tire pump again. It was at this moment that the gun discharged, striking Melissa Clay. Dexter Clay asserted that he immediately called 911 for help. Melissa Clay was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, where she ultimately succumbed to her wound.
Following the initial investigation, Dexter Clay was arrested and booked on one count of negligent homicide. Online sources available do not provide information on the final disposition of the charge against him, including whether the case went to trial or the ultimate outcome of the legal proceedings.
