On July 12, 2024, Tabatha Lynn Pebler, a 44-year-old woman from Arkansas, was sentenced to three years in state prison for killing her son during a dispute over a stuck lawnmower.
The incident, which took place on May 31, 2023, in Fulton County, Arkansas, resulted in the death of her 27-year-old son, Brandon Chrisco. Pebler pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges and received her sentence from Sixteenth Circuit Court Judge Tim Weaver.
In addition to her prison term, Pebler also received a seven-year suspended sentence. If she violates the terms of her release, she may have to serve additional time in prison. Originally, Pebler was charged with second-degree murder and using a firearm in a felony, but these were dropped after she agreed to a plea deal that led to a manslaughter conviction.
According to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, Pebler called 911 on May 31, 2023, and reported that she had shot her son. Deputies arrived on the scene, read her her rights, and conducted an interview. Pebler stated that she was cutting the grass when her mower got stuck. She asked her son for help, which he provided reluctantly and with visible irritation.
The mower got stuck again soon after. When Pebler asked her son to assist her a second time, he reportedly insulted her and pushed her off the mower. Feeling threatened, Pebler went to her car, approximately 250 yards away, and retrieved her pistol.
Pebler said, “I just wanted to scare and stop him.” As her son approached her, she fired several warning shots. Despite this, she moved closer and fired the shot that fatally wounded Chrisco in the upper left side of his chest. Investigators found multiple shell casings at the scene.
Investigation revealed that Pebler stepped 18 feet toward Chrisco after arming herself and fired a shot. She then moved another 42 feet closer and fired the lethal shot when she was less than 20 feet away from him. Pebler’s defense claimed she did not intend to kill her son but acted out of fear.
Judge Weaver sentenced Pebler to three years in prison followed by a suspended sentence, reflecting the complexity of the case. Pebler is set to start her sentence immediately.
