US woman records own murder on mobile phone, say police

According to police, the sound of a gunshot can be heard on the recording followed by a man’s voice

Keith Robert Smith, 43, was charged by prosecutors on Wednesday in connection with Wesley Webb's death at their home in Phoenixville, near Philadelphia (Chester County District Attorney's Office via AP)

A woman who was shot dead in a domestic dispute recorded the sound of her own killing using her mobile phone, police have said.

Wesley Webb, from Pennsylvania, activated an audio recording programme on her phone just before her death, capturing the events of the shooting on 2 May at the home she shared with her partner in Phoenixville, near Philadelphia.

According to police, the sound of a gunshot can be heard on the recording followed by a man’s voice understood to be the 40-year-old’s partner Keith Robert Smith.

After the shot, Smith can be heard yelling, “F*** you! How’s that? That’s where we just went”, CBS News reports citing police.

Authorities said Ms Webb and Smith had become involved in a fight during which she decided to leave the home with two of the children.

Wesley Webb, 40 (GoFundMe)

Smith allegedly shot Ms Webb fatally in the chest with a 12-gauge shotgun and then tried unsuccessfully to kill himself, 6 ABC reports.

Smith, 43, was charged with a number of offences in connection with the incident on Wednesday, including murder.

One of three children understood to have been present in the house at the time of the incident called emergency services after the shooting, CBS Philadelphia station KYW reported.

All of the children are believed to be under 14, the Times of Chester County reports.

The recording continues until police arrived at the scene.

“This was a savage, selfish and cowardly murder,” Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan said in a statement.

“The defendant was focused on killing his girlfriend. He callously ignored the fact that he was killing somebody who was a mom, a sister, a daughter.”

“The defendant did not hesitate to kill his girlfriend. But flinched when it came to killing himself,” DA Hogan said.

Smith, who was hospitalised in a stable condition on Wednesday, has been charged with murder, criminal homicide, child endangerment, reckless endangerment and a weapons crime.

DA Hogan says the phone recording will be admissible in court. Ms Webb’s sister has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for Ms Webb’s two children.