Sean Michael Wishart

Sean Michael Wishart, a 45-year-old White man from Raleigh, North Carolina, was an employee at Cisco and an active member of Providence Church. He was a father to four children and was loved by his family and friends. His life was cut short on the night of May 5, 2021.

Shortly after 9 p.m. that evening, Raleigh police responded to a report of a shooting in the Brier Creek neighborhood. At a townhouse in the 10000 block of Lynnberry Place, officers discovered Sean suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

The investigation quickly focused on Sean’s ex-wife, 41-year-old Wendy Sue Wishart. She had called 911 herself, telling the operator in a calm voice that she had shot her ex-husband in the chest. She said she had left the gun on a table and followed the dispatcher’s instructions to walk outside with her hands up to wait for police. Officers found a gun and a used shell casing on the dining room table. Wendy Wishart was arrested at the scene and charged with murder. She was taken to the Wake County Detention Center and held without bond.

Court documents revealed a tumultuous history between the former couple. Two months before the shooting, Wendy had twice sought domestic violence protection orders against Sean, alleging in court filings that he was stalking her, had threatened to kill her, and was putting their children at risk. A judge, however, ruled there was not enough evidence to grant the order, and Wendy dropped her efforts. In contrast, Sean’s cousin, Courtney Archambo, stated that Sean harbored no ill will toward his ex-wife. "I've never heard Sean say anything hateful about her," she said. "He never wanted to say anything about wanting to hurt her, never a derogatory comment."

At the time of her arrest, Wendy Wishart was employed as a substitute teacher with the Wake County Public School System. The district suspended her from working at any school following the charge.

Wendy Sue Wishart was later convicted for the murder of Sean Michael Wishart. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. She appealed the verdict, but the North Carolina Court of Appeals upheld her murder conviction. As of August 2026, the legal proceedings in the case were concluded, and she is serving her life sentence.