GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — The North Carolina Court of Appeals has upheld the second-degree murder conviction of a Gaston County woman who fatally shot her boyfriend during a domestic dispute in 2020, ruling that she received a fair trial free from prejudicial error.

Valencia McLean, 37, was sentenced to 20 years in prison after a jury found her guilty in November 2023 of killing Willie Breeden, 31, inside their home.

The shooting happened on River Trace in Gastonia on Sept. 12, 2020 . Breeden was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Prosecutors said McLean shot Breeden at the top of a staircase after an argument turned violent. McLean claimed she acted in self-defense, fearing Breeden was reaching for a rifle, but investigators determined she had hidden the weapon earlier.

On appeal, McLe

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