DA: Woman who shot husband was acting in self-defense

Kim Smith

Friday, Oct. 26, 2001 | 9:23 a.m.

A Las Vegas woman who killed her common-law husband after allegedly suffering days of abuse at his hands will not be charged with his murder.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Ron Bloxham said Thursday that the evidence shows the 32-year-old woman was clearly acting in self-defense when she shot Francisco Olvera, 32, on Oct. 9.

The woman told police that Olvera picked her up at work on Oct. 5 and, believing that she was having an affair, bound, beat, burned and tortured her over the next four days at their North Lamb Boulevard home, Bloxham said.

On the morning of Oct. 9, after Olvera said he was going to "finish this," the woman shot him to death, Bloxham said.

Bloxham said police were able to verify the woman's version of the events that led to Olvera's death by speaking with the dead man's family and the couple's 12-year-old daughter.

A physical examination also revealed numerous bruises and serious burns on her body.

"The family of the deceased are actually very supportive of her, they saw him abuse her over the years,' Bloxham said. "It was just a very sad, sad situation."

The woman felt she couldn't leave the home because Olvera had repeatedly threatened to kill her and the children if she did so, Bloxham said.

The woman, who also has two toddlers, has received counseling from a local woman's shelter, Bloxham said.

Bloxham said that although he has had several cases in which women claimed to have killed as the result of abuse, many waited several days or weeks after the abuse before acting.

"In this case, it was pretty clear he was going to hurt or kill her," right then, Bloxham said.