HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A man was charged with manslaughter with a firearm after deputies say he shot a woman in the chest in September 2019.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said on Sept. 16, Ralph Wald, 77, called 911 saying something was wrong with a woman inside a home, and he didn't know if she was breathing. Deputies arrived at the home on Clara Drive and found the victim dead on the couch in the living room.
HILLSBOROUGH NEWS | The latest headlines from Hillsborough County
An investigator moved the victim to the floor and saw a gunshot wound to the chest. No gun was seen within the living room.
Deputies secured the scene and detectives responded and wrote a search warrant for the home. The search warrant was later obtained.
Deputies found a .38 caliber revolver located in a gun box in the nightstand in Wald's bedroom. The firearm had one spent casing within the cylinder line with the barrel.
The firearm used during this incident was found to be the same used in a murder that happened on March 24, 2013. In that case, Wald was charged with murder after he confessed to shooting a man while the man was engaged in sex with his wife, the sheriff's office said.
Wald was found not guilty by a jury.
This investigation and evidence revealed the victim was shot by Wald.
The case was presented to the State Attorney's Office in December 2019.
On Jan. 17, Wald was charged with manslaughter with a firearm. He posted a $15,000 bond on Saturday morning.
