Ex-hubby charged in slaying

Keith Paul

Thursday, Dec. 21, 2000 | 10:30 a.m.

A 25-year-old woman was shot to death Wednesday and her ex-husband was charged with her slaying just three days after the couple were divorced.

The woman, whose name was not released this morning, was at her former husband's home in the 8700 block of Wintry Garden about 7 p.m. Wednesday. A woman called 911 saying that her daughter-in-law had been shot, said Lt. Wayne Petersen of Metro Police's homicide unit.

The woman and her ex-husband, Alfred "Chip" Centofanti III were in the home with the couple's 4-month-old child and Centofanti's parents.

After the woman was shot, Centofanti's parents took him to a neighbor's house, where he was taken into custody by police. He was booked into the Clark County jail on a murder charge, Petersen said.

The couple divorced two weeks after police were called to the home on Dec. 5 on a domestic violence call.

In that incident each accused the other of making threats with a gun. The woman was arrested for domestic violence after Centofanti said the woman ripped his shirt and scratched him, Petersen said. Centofanti apparently had marks on his face prompting the arrest.

Officers responding to the Dec. 5 call confiscated two guns in the house that they believed were involved in the domestic dispute. The guns, which were registered to the woman, were later returned to Centofanti.

Apparently one of those guns was used to kill the woman, Petersen said.

In an unrelated incident, an 18-year-old man was found dead in his apartment in the 5800 block of Fawn Avenue Wednesday about 4:30 p.m. The teen had talked with his mother Tuesday, but when she called him Wednesday, she got no answer, police said.

She went to his home to check on him and found him dead. Police have no suspect and no motive for the slaying.

The two slayings Wednesday bring the total number of homicides in Metro's jurisdiction to 93 so far this year compared to 111 at the same time last year.