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Bond reduced for wife charged in JPSO deputy's death

Tuesday a judge ruled that there was enough probable cause to keep Wagner in custody and also ruled to reduce her bond from $500,000 to $300,000

A woman accused of shooting and killing her husband, a Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s deputy, will remain in custody until she can post her reduced bond of $300,000, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Shantel Wagner is accused of killed her husband, JPSO deputy Troy Smith, on June 17. She reported her husband shot himself in the head at their home on Camellia Lane in Waggaman. Smith was taken to an area hospital and died a week later.

Wagner was arrested and charged with her husband’s death after the department said they found inconsistencies in her statement.

Tuesday a judge ruled that there was enough probable cause to keep Wagner in custody, however did rule to reduce her bond from $500,000 to $300,000. If she posts the $300,000 bond, she will be required to be incarcerated at home with GPS monitoring and will only be allowed to go to the doctor’s office for medical reasons.

Wagner’s defense attorney, Leo Palazzo, said she cannot afford to pay her bond and continues to argue that Smith committed suicide as he showed several signs of depression. Palazzo said he believes the decision today was not fair.

“They are charging her with second-degree murder, they never introduced any evidence to support that she committed the intentional killing of her husband, absolutely none,” Palazzo said.

The investigation and the autopsy report are still pending.

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