(DailyAnswer.org) – An 85-year-old mother in Idaho shot and killed an intruder with her .357 Magnum revolver to protect her disabled son. In the attack on April 10, Christine Jenneiahn was woken up at 2:00 am by Derek Condon, who had broken into her home and was standing by her, pointing a 9mm pistol and a flashlight in her direction. He was wearing a military-style jacket and a black ski mask. The home invader hit her, drawing blood, then took her to the living room, where he handcuffed her to a chair and demanded valuables. Jenneiahn managed to outsmart Condon and shot him dead to save her son.
The elderly mother kept her Magnum revolver under her pillow. According to Bingham County Prosecuting Attorney Ryan Jolley, Condon placed his pistol on Jenneiahn’s head when she told him she did not have many valuables. She then told the intruder there were two safes downstairs. As the prosecutor states, Condon left the mother handcuffed to her chair while he went to search through the home. As the intruder searched, Jenneiahn dragged her chair to her bed, where she retrieved the revolver before waiting to see what Condon did next. When he realized her disabled son was at home and got enraged, threatening her again, she shot him twice.
The mother did not come away from the struggle unscathed, however, the intruder shot her four times in the chest, arm, leg, and abdomen before he retreated into the kitchen and died from the gunshot wounds. Jenneiahn lay bleeding for ten hours before her disabled son found her and handed her a phone so she could dial 911.
Investigators discovered a broken window at the back of the home and a screwdriver by the door that Condon used to enter the property. His car was also found nearby along with his footprints heading toward the house. Condon had a lock pick set, a handcuff key, and his car key in his possession, along with a bag containing items stolen from the residence.
The elderly mother survived her injuries, and Jolley described it as one of the most heroic acts of self-preservation he had come across. He ruled that the woman’s actions were clearly in defense of her son and herself and that it was justifiable homicide. Jolley commented that had Condon survived his injuries, he would have charged the intruder with several felonies, including kidnapping, burglary, aggravated battery, grand theft, and attempted murder.
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