es in Franklin County, Alabama, say a woman recovering from open-heart surgery admitted to fatally shooting her husband because he was “annoying” her by checking on her too often.

Sheri Mitchell-Clutts, 65, is accused of killing her husband, 69-year-old Timothy “Tim” Clutts, inside their rural home near Russellville. Deputies with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office responded to the residence after Mitchell-Clutts called 911 to report the shooting.

When officers arrived, they found Timothy dead in a recliner with a single gunshot wound to the chest. Investigators say there were no signs of a struggle in the living area where his body was discovered.

According to Sheriff Shannon Oliver, Mitchell-Clutts initially told dispatchers and responding deputies that she felt threatened by her husband and fired in self-defense. However, during a subsequent interview, her account allegedly shifted.

Oliver said Mitchell-Clutts later admitted that Timothy had been repeatedly checking on her in the weeks following her open-heart surgery, entering her room frequently to see how she was doing. She allegedly told investigators that his constant presence had begun to irritate her.

Detectives say Mitchell-Clutts described retrieving a handgun and waiting in her room in case her husband returned. When he did not, she allegedly walked into the living area, where Timothy was seated in his recliner, and shot him once in the chest.

Sheriff Oliver noted that the suspect’s apparent candor at the scene and during questioning was unusual in a homicide investigation.

“In a lot of cases, you’re trying to track someone down and piece together what happened from the evidence,” Oliver said in an interview with local media. “In this situation, she was very open about what she said she did, which raises a lot of questions about what was going on with her or with him.”

Mitchell-Clutts was taken into custody at the scene and later booked into the Franklin County Jail on a murder charge. She is being held without bond as the investigation continues.

Authorities have not publicly detailed any prior history of domestic incidents at the home. The case will be presented to a grand jury to determine formal indictment.