Murdered: Shantay LaTrice Wheeler

*Editor’s Note: This happened back in 2001 but it’s still worth posting. I do not in ANY way condone affairs. I have several friends who are married and were cheated on…so I’ve seen what it does to families. However, what I’m finding in these situations is that the ‘man’ usually begins to have second thoughts about what he did once the woman becomes pregnant…and then he chooses to take her life. Again, I know this was several years go but I would like us all to realize that black women ARE indeed murdered during pregnancy. There are have been several articles posted that say that the media loves to put a white face to crimes like this…and I do not wish to take away from any family who has experienced this sort of grief. I just think that it’s high time that we acknowledge that we experience it too! Even though this took place back in 2001, it did not go to trial until 2007.

Original Article Found at NBC 29

Tuesday, the trial began for a Fluvanna man charged with killing his pregnant girlfriend in 2001 in Louisa County.

28-year-old Irvin Fountain was in the courtroom Tuesday seemingly calm and expressionless. He’s facing capital murder and firearms charges for the death of 18-year-old Shantay Latrice Wheeler.

Wheeler was eight months pregnant when she didn’t show up for her baby shower. Police found her body in the woods near Boswell’s Tavern in Louisa County five months after her disappearance. At the time of Wheeler’s disappearance in 2001, Fountain was married but he and Wheeler were having an affair.

Five years later, police arrested Fountain for her death. In the opening statements, the prosecutors claim Fountain did not want her to have the baby. The Commonwealth said he had problems supporting kids he already had and told people on several occasions that he wanted Wheeler to have an abortion. Since she wouldn’t, he said he would “fix that”. The defense disputes this statement, saying there’s no real evidence against Fountain.

We do know Wheeler was found with four entry wounds from bullets on her back, jaw, and temple. The prosecution and defense have very different descriptions of how she was shot. The defense claims it was an accident; prosecutors say Fountain shot her on purpose.

The prosecutors said this is classified as a capital murder charge because they say Fountain shot Wheeler with the intent to kill her unborn child. They are not seeking the death penalty.