Cherokee Co. woman charged with husband's murder waives right to jury trial

CHEROKEE COUNTY, TX (KLTV) - A Cherokee County woman charged with murder has waived her right to a jury trial.

Rebecca Barker, 52, was charged in the

of her husband, Jerry Barker, 76.

According to Barker's arrest affidavit, she said that her husband had been verbally abusing her all day. She went on to say she couldn't take it anymore, so she shot him with a .357 Magnum.

The victim suffered a single gunshot wound to the abdomen. His son, Jerry Michael Barker, said that Rebecca kept some of them at arm's length.

Barker had

previously been indicted

for the attempted murder of her previous husband, John Osborne, in 1996 in Liberty County. Barker shot Osborne with a firearm in April 15, 1996, according to the paperwork, and a restraining order was filed the next day. She accepted a plea deal in that case and was sentenced to 180 days in jail with time served, paid a fine and received deferred adjudication.

Barker's jury trial was set for Oct. 8, instead she will appear in front of Judge Bascom Bentley III in the 369th District Court. The sentencing phase can still be conducted by peers.