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Kathleen Leigh, ex-Chicago probation officer, fatally shot her daughter-in-law, Marisa Galloway, before committing suicide in a plot to secure full custody of her 4-year-old granddaughter for her son, Zachariah Reed, according to new court filings, NY Post reported. The incident took place last month on a Manhattan street and has since led to a legal battle between the families over the custody of the child.
Marisa Galloway, 45, a special-education teacher, was shot by Leigh, 65, while loading her car in Manhattan. Following the murder-suicide, Galloway’s parents, Nancy and John Galloway, have filed an emergency petition in Manhattan Supreme Court, claiming that Reed has taken their granddaughter, Lili, to his Chicago home and has cut off all contact between the child and her maternal grandparents.
“Clearly, [Reed’s] mother had a deliberate plan to kill Marisa in order to provide custody for her son,” the court papers allege. The grandparents, who reside in Cape May, NJ, are now seeking to inherit Marisa’s parenting time, as outlined in a 2022 custody agreement with Reed.
The Galloways have also requested that Reed be required to live in New York City until Lili turns 18, to ensure she maintains a close relationship with her grandparents and her 1-year-old half-sister, Mariel, whom Marisa had with a sperm donor. The Galloways currently have custody of Mariel.
In a poignant affidavit, Nancy Galloway detailed the close relationship she and her husband had with Lili, who they saw regularly. “‘When we did not see [Lili], we would Facetime almost every day,’” Nancy wrote. The grandparents were actively involved in Lili’s upbringing, and each had special activities they shared with her, from gardening to baking.
Nancy explained that she is “extremely uncomfortable” filing the petition but feared that Lili would become estranged from her mother’s side of the family without intervention. She also recounted the “tumultuous relationship” between Marisa and Reed, which she claims was complicated by Leigh’s interference.
Marisa on the day of the event, was preparing to take her daughters to New Jersey to visit her parents. As she was loading her car, Leigh approached and shot her twice before turning the gun on herself. Leigh had left behind a seven-page letter for the police, accusing Marisa of alienating Lili from Reed and alleging child abuse—claims that had been dismissed by child services.
Despite the horrifying circumstances, Reed has allegedly refused to allow the Galloways any contact with Lili since the incident. The grandparents are now urging the court to protect their relationship with their granddaughter and ensure she remains connected to her mother’s family.
Marisa Galloway, 45, a special-education teacher, was shot by Leigh, 65, while loading her car in Manhattan. Following the murder-suicide, Galloway’s parents, Nancy and John Galloway, have filed an emergency petition in Manhattan Supreme Court, claiming that Reed has taken their granddaughter, Lili, to his Chicago home and has cut off all contact between the child and her maternal grandparents.
“Clearly, [Reed’s] mother had a deliberate plan to kill Marisa in order to provide custody for her son,” the court papers allege. The grandparents, who reside in Cape May, NJ, are now seeking to inherit Marisa’s parenting time, as outlined in a 2022 custody agreement with Reed.
The Galloways have also requested that Reed be required to live in New York City until Lili turns 18, to ensure she maintains a close relationship with her grandparents and her 1-year-old half-sister, Mariel, whom Marisa had with a sperm donor. The Galloways currently have custody of Mariel.
In a poignant affidavit, Nancy Galloway detailed the close relationship she and her husband had with Lili, who they saw regularly. “‘When we did not see [Lili], we would Facetime almost every day,’” Nancy wrote. The grandparents were actively involved in Lili’s upbringing, and each had special activities they shared with her, from gardening to baking.
Nancy explained that she is “extremely uncomfortable” filing the petition but feared that Lili would become estranged from her mother’s side of the family without intervention. She also recounted the “tumultuous relationship” between Marisa and Reed, which she claims was complicated by Leigh’s interference.
Marisa on the day of the event, was preparing to take her daughters to New Jersey to visit her parents. As she was loading her car, Leigh approached and shot her twice before turning the gun on herself. Leigh had left behind a seven-page letter for the police, accusing Marisa of alienating Lili from Reed and alleging child abuse—claims that had been dismissed by child services.
Despite the horrifying circumstances, Reed has allegedly refused to allow the Galloways any contact with Lili since the incident. The grandparents are now urging the court to protect their relationship with their granddaughter and ensure she remains connected to her mother’s family.
