17-year-old finds his mom shot to death in bed after neighbor's gun accidentally discharged: police

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BySteve Campion KTRK logo
Saturday, October 2, 2021
Houston mom shot to death by neighbor's bullet as she slept in Georgia
The victim's 17-year-old son recalls finding his mom's body with a gunshot wound to her head, laying in bed inside their apartment near Atlanta, Georgia. Investigators say a neighbor admitted his gun discharged accidentally, causing the deadly shot.

DULUTH, Georgia (KTRK) -- A Houston family in mourning is working to bring back their loved one's body from the Atlanta area after a senseless killing.

Gwinnett County police said 36-year-old Carlether Foley died from a gunshot wound to the head as she slept in her apartment in Duluth, Georgia on Sept. 26.

Her 17-year-old son said he was the one who found her lifeless body in the bed. Authorities said they found a bullet hole in the wall of the apartment.

Foley's neighbor told police his gun went off while he was cleaning the weapon.

The neighbor, 22-year-old Maxwell Williamson, said he forgot that there was a bullet in the chamber.

Authorities have charged Williamson with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct. He's in jail with no bond.

Foley's family shared their heartbreak with ABC13 Friday. Her son, Keyandre, is now staying with his grandmother, Jacquline Foley, in southeast Texas.

"I've never experience the hurt, the pain that I'm feeling. I don't know what to do," said Jacquline Foley. "You had no right to take my baby from me. You had no business taking her life away from her child. He's 17 years old. This is his last year in school. You have hurt my family. You have took my baby."

Keyandre called his mother his hero. He said she worked tirelessly to provide for their household.

"It don't feel real. I found my mama by myself," said her son. "I just don't get it. I don't understand. She don't bother nobody. My mama didn't do nothing."

Carlether Foley's brother, George Foley, said the family is working to bring his sister's body to southeast Texas for a proper funeral.

Relatives have set up a GoFundMe to help with expenses.

"We're not doing well," said George Foley. "This has really hit us. It hit the whole, whole family. We just can't believe it."

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