Woman convicted of killing her husband sentenced to 35 years

Carlotta Susann Kutschenreuter

Carlotta Susann Kutschenreuter of Hokes Bluff was sentenced this morning to 35 years in prison for the July 2010 murder of her husband.

An Etowah County jury convicted he of murder on Sept. 6 for shooting her husband of 29 years, Joel David Kutschenreuter, three times while he slept. She claimed self-defense and said her husband repeatedly abused her emotionally and sexually and forced her to get an abortion shortly after they were married.

 Deputy District Attorney Marcus Reid said

the court followed the jury’s lead with the sentence. The jury rejected Kutschenreuter’s self-defense argument and also did not convict her of the lesser charge of manslaughter. Reid said her defense was offensive to all the legitimate victims of spousal abuse.

Kutschenreuter faced a minimum of 20 years in prison and a maximum of 99 years to life. She will be eligible for parole in 2028.