Highland Township man charged in alleged murder of fiancee
Highland Township man charged with murder in fiancee's death
Taylor Campbell is mourning her best friend, 23-year-old Rachel Wooten, who police say was killed by 21-year-old Michael Webb. Their baby boy, Aspen, was unharmed. "She had such an amazing, incredible bond with her baby—she loved him so much—and she would have given him the world," Campbell said.
HIGHLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - A young mother was murdered by her fiancé, according to police, at their home in Highland Township.
What they're saying:
Taylor Campbell is mourning her best friend, 23-year-old Rachel Wooten, who police say was killed by 21-year-old Michael Webb. Their baby boy, Aspen, was unharmed.
"She had such an amazing, incredible bond with her baby—she loved him so much—and she would have given him the world," Campbell said.
The backstory:
On April 15, prosecutors say Webb shot Wooten in the neck at close range, injuring himself in the process. He initially called 911, claiming it was an accident while cleaning his gun, but investigators say the evidence shows otherwise, and he's now charged with first-degree murder.
"He took somebody's mom, somebody's sister, somebody's best friend, somebody's daughter—she meant so much to everybody. She was such a good person. I just hope he feels the pain he caused everybody else," said Campbell. "I hope he feels horrible, and I hope he gets the worst possible punishment that he can."
What's next:
Webb could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted.
As for six-month-old Aspen, he's now with the suspect's family, but the victim's sister is fighting for custody and has set up a GoFundMe to help with expenses.
Campbell says Rachel, her sister, and their brother were all adopted, and it's important for the baby to be with her family.
"Rachel herself grew up without a mom, and she was so excited and happy to be a mother herself. She looked forward to it so much, and it came so naturally to her. He's never going to have that bond with her and grow up the way she did. It's just really disheartening," she said.
Also devastating for friends and family is that they say this wasn't the first time there had been problems, and Rachel wanted to leave her alleged abusive relationship but never got the chance.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
The Source: FOX 2 used information from Highland Township police for this report.