In the coastal city of Florence, Oregon, the life of 93-year-old White/Caucasian male Erwin Emerson Drake came to a sudden and violent end on February 12, 2017. A retired Boeing engineer, Mr. Drake was seated on the couch in his Wild Winds Street home when he was fatally shot in the back of the head. His ex-wife, Carolyn Stickley, was identified as the perpetrator.
Immediately following the shooting, Stickley herself contacted authorities via a 911 call to report the incident.
Her initial account to law enforcement was one of self-defense. She claimed that during a struggle, Drake had brandished a handgun and threatened her, leading her to shoot him. However, this narrative would later change.
As the investigation progressed, Stickley's story shifted from self-defense to an attempted "mercy killing." She cited her ex-husband's dementia as the reason for her actions, stating that she "just snapped." Ultimately, Carolyn Stickley was arrested and charged in connection with the death of Erwin Emerson Drake. In a turn of events that precluded a trial, she pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter. For her crime, she was sentenced to a term of ten years in prison.
