Rhonda Forrester-James, a 57-year-old woman from Portageville, Missouri, became the victim of a violent domestic incident that unfolded in the spring of 2025. On the night of Saturday, May 17, law enforcement officials from the New Madrid County Sheriff's Department responded to a distress call at a residence located on West 8th Street in Portageville.
Upon their arrival, investigators discovered a harrowing scene indicative of an attempted murder-suicide involving Rhonda and her husband.
The initial investigation revealed that Rhonda had been shot by her 58-year-old husband inside their home. While her husband sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene, Rhonda was found critically injured but alive. Emergency medical personnel immediately arranged for her air transport to a hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, where she underwent urgent medical treatment for her injuries.
Despite the efforts of medical staff over nearly a month, Rhonda succumbed to her wounds on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, surrounded by her family. Because the sole suspect in the shooting had died by suicide at the scene of the crime, no arrests were made in connection with her death. The case was investigated by local authorities who determined the nature of the event to be a domestic homicide-suicide, effectively closing the possibility of criminal prosecution.
Rhonda left behind a grieving family, including her parents, Ronnie and Lois Forrester, her children Lukas and Casey, and her step-children Micheal, Brianna, and Macy. The tragedy marked a somber period for the Portageville community, noting the loss of a mother and daughter to gun violence.
