Woman charged in fatal shooting
Published 5:43 am Saturday, April 22, 2017
A Franklinton woman was charged with manslaughter Wednesday, in connection with the shooting of a man in Folsom last week, according to information released from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Margaret Stockstill, 32, of Franklinton, was arrested late Wednesday afternoon and booked into St. Tammany Parish Jail.
STPSO officials said that deputies responded to a 911 call on Friday, April 14, in reference to a man who had been shot at a Tantella Ranch Road residence in Folsom. The victim was identified as 27-year-old Cody Couch, who was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
According to the STPSO, two women remained at the scene of the shooting. One of them was Couch’s fiancée and the other was Stockstill, a friend of Couch’s. Stockstill reportedly told deputies that she shot Couch with her handgun, claiming self defense.
At some point in the evening, Couch, his fiancée and Stockstill began arguing, STPSO officials said. The argument allegedly became physical, at which point, Stockstill armed herself with a .22-caliber revolver and shot Couch once in the lower abdomen.
St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith said that the investigation and evidence concluded that Couch’s shooting was not justified, leading to Stockstill’s arrest.
“If you are going to take the life of another human being, it needs to be justified,” Smith said. “That was not the case in this particular instance. It is very unfortunate that this happened, and it all could have easily been prevented.
“Tempers flared and someone lost their life, because of it.”