She claimed she shot husband in self-defense; new trial denied

A judge has denied a request for a new trial or an altered sentence in the case of Heather Sims, who was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in November for the 2013 shooting death of her husband.

Sims was sentenced to 25 years in prison, which was suspended to 10 years followed by five years of probation.

Sims petitioned the court to reconsider the verdict and the sentence in December, but Judge Cordell Maddox Jr. denied the request months later, choosing to keep Sims’ sentence the same.

“This court has taken extra time in deciding this matter due to the severity, sensitivity and magnitude it might have on the persons involved,” Maddox said in the order. “More specifically, this court has agonized over this decision as a result of the impact it would have on the defendant’s child.”

Sims, now 34, of Conway was charged with murder after Horry County authorities found her husband, 35-year-old David Sims, dead from a single gunshot wound to the chest at their home on Old Reaves Ferry Road on Aug. 11, 2013.

The shooting erupted during a fight between the couple. Sims claimed she fired in self-defense.

Sims tried to challenge her murder charge last summer and sought immunity under the state’s Stand Your Ground law, which allows deadly force against an intruder or attacker in a person’s home, business or vehicle.

The state said the law excludes people living in the same residence and doesn’t apply when there is a domestic situation in the home. Sims lost that motion in August.

In the recent order, Maddox said the court “heard all the evidence presented at trial and believes that the evidence justifies the verdict. Additionally, this court does not think the verdict to be inconsistent and nor does it reflect confusion of the jury. Therefore, this court cannot in good conscience grant a new trial.”

This story was originally published June 28, 2016 at 6:04 PM with the headline "She claimed she shot husband in self-defense; new trial denied."