American Monster is in the northeastern Mississippi town of Tupelo to investigate a case of matrimonial murder with the 2017 shooting of Carol-Ann Sharp.
Carol was shot dead by her husband of two years, James Sharp, who then tried to blame her death on suicide.
On August 5, 2017, James shot his 23-year-old wife, Carol-Ann, with a single bullet her head in their apartment in Tupelo.
James telephoned the police to say his wife was suffering from a self-inflicted wound. When the detectives arrived, they were instantly suspicious of Carol’s husband because they could tell that the gunshot wound was clearly not caused by suicide.
James was arrested and charged with aggravated domestic assault while his wife was transported to the North Mississippi Medical Center. Tragically, Carol passed away approximately nine hours after the shooting. The charges against James were then upgraded to first-degree murder.
James and Carol Sharp appeared to be a perfect couple
James and Carol had been married for two years, and to many of their friends and family, they had seemed like a happy couple who were deeply in love. However, the police determined that an argument had led to James pulling a gun on his wife.
In February 2019, James made a deal with the prosecution, which led to him pleading guilty to second-degree murder in exchange for a 25-year prison sentence. The state agreed to push for a 40-year sentence but with 15 years suspended. He will also have 5 years probation added on at the end of his sentence.
And the Circuit Court Judge Kelly Mims had more punishment for him; he was also ordered to pay $3,556.50 in court costs and fines, plus $500 in restitution.
More from American Monsters
Follow the links to read about more American monsters profiled on ID.
John Grazioli shot his wife, Amanda Schmitt, in the head at their home in Erie, PA. He tried to tell the police that it had been a tragic accident; he told them he’d been intoxicated, and the gun accidentally went off as he handed it to her. The police decided he was a liar as well as a murderer.
Robert Lee Yates was The Spokane Serial Killer who spread fear through sex workers in Washington state in the late 1990s when he killed at least 18 women. The military veteran is suspected of killing more people while he was posted abroad.
American Monster airs at 10/9c on Investigation Discovery.