A Texarkana grandmother accused of murdering her former son-in-law in July 2015 is scheduled to face a Bowie County jury in January.
Annette Fisher, 54, was arrested July 22, 2015, less than half an hour after she allegedly shot Russell Scott Cain, 28, to death in the parking lot of Pete Mankins Used Car Center on Summerhill Road in Texarkana, Texas. Fisher has been in a state mental hospital since early 2016 following a finding that she was not competent to go to trial.
Fisher appeared Monday before 5th District Judge Bill Miller with Mount Pleasant, Texas, attorney Mark Lesher. The hearing was Fisher’s first court appearance since February 2016. Fisher underwent a psychological evaluation after Lesher requested a court order for one citing concern Fisher was delusional. After more than a year in the hospital, Fisher has been found competent to stand trial. Miller scheduled Fisher to return to court next month for a pretrial hearing and set the case for jury selection in January 2018.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Fisher told investigators who interviewed her the day of Cain’s shooting, that she believes he was abusing her grandson, who was 2 ½ at the time. Russell Cain and Fisher’s daughter, Elizabeth Cain, also have a daughter who was 8 months old when Russell Cain was killed. Russell Cain and Elizabeth Cain had divorced a few months before the shooting and Rusell Cain had custody of the children while Elizabeth Cain was allowed only supervised visitation. Annette Fisher allegedly maintained regular contact with her children. On the day of the shooting she allegedly brought Russell Cain lunch and a bag of the children’s items before pulling out a Ruger pistol. Fisher allegedly emptied one magazine from the gun before reloading and firing more rounds from a second clip.
According to the affidavit, Cain was shot at least nine times.
Fisher was arrested within minutes of the mid-day shooting. Witnesses reportedly followed her from the car lot and reported her location to law enforcement. When she was arrested, a handgun was found on the passenger seat.
Fisher’s bail is set at $1 million. First-degree murder is punishable by five to 99 years or life in prison.
