In the summer of 2022, a domestic dispute in Cordova, Tennessee, tragically cut short the life of 36-year-old Paris Nicole Lee. On June 29, what began as a verbal altercation escalated to violence, ending with Lee suffering fatal gunshot wounds. The incident unfolded at her residence, where she had asked Samuel Ward to leave.
During the confrontation, Ward claimed that Lee had pointed a gun at him from the top of a staircase, causing him to fall backward. He alleged that in self-defense, he drew his own weapon and fired upwards from the bottom of the stairs, striking her multiple times. However, the physical evidence presented a different and more grim narrative. Lee had been shot six times, and the trajectories of the bullets did not align with Ward's account of the events. Furthermore, investigators noted that Ward had no visible injuries that would support his claim of a physical struggle or fall.
Adding to the conflicting evidence, a key witness, Lee's best friend Tarik Hunter, testified that he was on the phone with her during the incident. He told the court he could hear Ward yelling in the background and that Lee had repeatedly asked him to leave her home. After the shooting, Ward did not immediately render aid or call for help. Instead, he left the scene and drove for approximately 30 minutes to his own home before contacting 911, leaving Lee to die at the foot of her staircase.
Samuel Ward was subsequently arrested and charged in connection with Paris Lee's death. Throughout the trial, he maintained his claim of self-defense. However, after a short deliberation, a Shelby County jury rejected his version of events. They found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter. The prosecution, led by Regina Lucreziano and Monica Timmerman, successfully argued that the evidence did not support a justifiable homicide. Ward's sentencing was scheduled for a later date.
