An Orange County woman pled guilty to second-degree murder Wednesday after shooting her mother in the head in December of 2022.

Paula Lee Decoteau, who was 51 at the time of the shooting, killed her 75-year-old mother Cheryl Garner Medlin in an incident at Medlin’s residence on Spruce Pine Trail, near the border of Orange and Durham counties. Decoteau now faces a minimum sentence of 15-and-a-half years, with the maximum being life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Though Decoteau was initially charged with first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree kidnapping, two misdemeanor counts of assaulting a government official or employee and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, most of those charges were dropped in the plea deal. The first-degree murder charge was downgraded to second-degree murder after testimony revealed Decoteau had been heavily drinking at a bar with friends and possibly ingesting cocaine and methamphetamine before the incident at Medlin’s house. The charge of assault with a deadly weapon and one of the charges of assault on a government official were dropped in 2023.

Previous testimony also revealed that on the night of the shooting, an argument between Decoteau and Medlin began after Decoteau blamed her mother for the death of Decoteau’s husband. Two witnesses reported hearing a single gunshot. After attempting to call 911, the witnesses testified Decoteau temporarily took their phones. Eventually, the pair were able to get their phones back and called 911; Medlin, however, died after being taken to the hospital.

The News & Observer reported multiple relatives of Medlin were in attendance for Wednesday’s hearing in Orange County Superior Court, including Medlin’s niece. Decoteau’s attorney claimed her client couldn’t remember the night of the incident beyond drinking at the bar.

 

Featured image via Chapel Hill Media Group

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Orange County: Reaction to ICE, Development Denied, Facilities Upgrade
Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, November 19. She discussed the reaction to federal immigration officers in the Triangle area, including a statement read at the commissioners' meeting last night. She also talked about a development proposal off NC 86 which was denied by the board. She discussed a facilities upgrade plan, previewed upcoming community events, and more.
Orange County Elected Officials Share Support of Local Families, Speak Out Against ICE Raids
Elected officials in Orange County affirmed their support of immigrant community members and criticism of federal efforts that recently brought U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and Border Patrol agents to North Carolina through a statement on Tuesday. As part of President Donald Trump’s administration’s policy goal to crack down on illegal immigration — and […]
Orange County: Rural Land Use, Selling Vacant Park Land, Veterans Day
Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, November 12, discussing county news and events. She talked about the commissioners recent discussion of rural land use. She outlined a plan to sell vacant park land off Millhouse road to a recreation non-profit. She discussed Veterans Day activities in the community, an upcoming "repair cafe" coming to the Whitted Building, and more.
Orange County Commissioner Sally Greene Will Not Run for Re-election in 2026
Sally Greene posted on her Facebook page Monday afternoon she plans to depart the Board of Orange County Commissioners next winter, opening up an at-large seat in the 2026 election.
Orange County: Election Reactions, Food Resources, Veterans Day
Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, November 5, discussing county news and events. She discussed election results from Tuesday's municipal elections, the ongoing uncertainty around food benefits and resources in our community, and the various Veterans Day recognitions happening in our community, and more.
2025 Election Results for Local Races in Orange County and Pittsboro
Tuesday marked Election Day for local races across North Carolina. Here are the vote tallies for Orange County and Pittsboro's elections.
2025 Early Voting in Orange, Durham and Chatham Counties is Underway; Here's Where to Go
Early voting in North Carolina begins on Thursday morning, helping bring the local election season to a crescendo across 16 days.
Orange County: Early Voting Continues, Interlocal Agreement on Schools, Broadband Update
Chair of the Orange County Commissioners Jamezetta Bedford spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Wednesday, October 22, discussing county news and events. She discussed early voting in Orange County, which expands tomorrow to additional location in southern Orange County. She also shared details from this week's Board of Commissioners Meeting, including the latest on an interlocal agreement on schools, an update on rural broadband, a design for the new Crisis Diversion Center, and more.
Conversations We Need To Have: Orange County Chief Civil Rights Officer Paul Slack
Orange County Chief Civil Rights Officer Paul Slack spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Monday, October 20. They discussed a series of community listening sessions that the county is running to learn how to better reach and communicate with residents. He also talked about the continued process of making the county's website screen-reader accessible, and more.
Interstate 40 Off Ramp in Orange County Closing for 3 Weeks
Contractors with the North Carolina Department of Transportation will be closing an off ramp along Interstate 40 in Orange County for at least three weeks. The Exit 261 off ramp from I-40 East onto Old North Carolina Highway 86 will close beginning at 10 p.m. the night of October 19 to allow for ramp construction. […]
›