Police: Mich. woman shoots grandson 8 times

Sandra Layne, 74, appears in handcuffs at the 48th District Count in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., Monday, May 21, 2012. Layne has been charged with open murder in the shooting death of her 17-year-old grandson in the suburban Detroit condo they shared. / AP Photo/The Detroit News, Max Ortiz

(CBS/AP) FARMINGTON, Mich. - Jonathan Hoffman frantically told a 911 dispatcher he had been shot in the chest by his grandmother and was going to die, a police detective testified Monday.

By the time officers arrived at the family's upscale condo in a Detroit suburb, at least four more shots from a .40-caliber handgun had been pumped into the 17-year-old high school senior.

Hoffman's grandmother, 74-year-old Sandra Layne, has been charged with open murder in the shooting death of her grandson and held without bond. She stood mute in court during Monday's arraignment when the charge was read, and a not guilty plea was entered on her behalf.

An open murder charge allows a jury to decide on whether a first- or second-degree charge applies after hearing evidence.

An undated family photo of Jonathan Hoffman.

/ AP/Ira Kaufman Chapel

She did not look at the judge or attorneys but instead waved and blew kisses to her husband, CBS Station WWJ reports.

A West Bloomfield Township detective told a judge during Monday's arraignment that eight entry and exit wounds were found in Hoffman's body after the Friday afternoon shooting.

Hoffman had been attending an alternative high school in nearby Farmington and living with his maternal grandparents so he could complete his senior year while his divorced parents settled in Arizona, according to his father, Michael Hoffman of Scottsdale, Ariz.

Layne's attorneys have said there were problems at the condo, and Layne was afraid of her grandson. One of her attorneys, Mitchell Ribitwer, told reporters Monday that drugs and drug paraphernalia apparently belonging to the teen were found at the condo after Hoffman was killed.

Michael Hoffman said that regardless of his son's behavior, the teen was unarmed and didn't deserve to be shot to death.

Detective Brad Boulet testified about Hoffman's 911 call and said when officers arrived at the condo, Layne was inside, behind a screened door.

"She put the gun on the floor after being ordered so by officers," Boulet said. "She exclaimed she had just murdered her grandson."

Ribitwer described her to the judge as a retired teacher who has lived in the West Bloomfield area for 30 years. His requests for a reasonable bond and electronic tether monitor for Layne were denied. A pre-examination conference for Layne was set for Thursday morning.

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Grandma convicted of murdering grandson

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[bfree100]

This kid and Trevon Martin both got what they had coming to them.

You punks better straighten out!

[gunluvr]

She feared for her life so she plugged and planted the little monster while his drug addled parents were on the other side of the country probably smoking Peyote, LSD, etc., I'll bet they're probably happy somebody put the mad dog out of his misery and that they didn't have to spend any of their drug money to put him away.

[ultraskygod]

please eat the end of your weapon

[gunluvr]

She feared for her life so she plugged and planted the little monster while his drug addled parents were on the other side of the country probably smoking Peyote, LSD, etc., I'll bet they're probably happy somebody put the mad dog out of his misery and that they didn't have to spend any of their drug money to put him away.

[ge556]

Why are so many posters so sure of their own opinion about whether the shooting was justified? Can't you just admit that we don't know? Your attitude is the attitude of a lynch mob.

[AnnieDanny]

My experience with people who do drugs is they can be very ornery, mean and unruly and make life for everybody around them very difficult. So I'm inclined to be at least somewhat sympathetic for the grandma altho I do think there are other alternatives than murder. Such as call up his parents and tell them to take the kid back or he'll be on the street in 24 hours. Call the cops and complain of child abandonment by his parents... Surely there is a List of aggressive options that would have worked out better than THIS. Murder doesn't seem like the "only" choice.

[chelisek]

well said..she bought the gun in advance, which should have been an indicator she wasn't able to handle him. Calling his folks AND the police would have been smart. Why the folks would leave him with this elderly woman is beyond me, esp since he had been dealing with drug use. Experienced that in my own home and wouldn't allow anyone else in my family to witness it much less deal with it daily. She may have been fearful and rightly so..but her options are plenty. I live in this area, the police would have surely helped her as would numerous local hospitals and agencies. Again, speaking from experience in this area.

[tmittelstaed]

grandmaw is nuts. Raised a kid who was nuts and couldn't stay married or have a civil divorce. Nutty kid then raised another kid who was a druggie and was nuts.

Seems to me that grandmaw should have been sterilized years ago. Some people don't make good breeding stock

[nygurl1]

You are insane! Try making up a reasonable story next time!

[lonestar9000]

This could be a case of dementia. That's why doctors recommend people not try to care for Alzheimer's patients at home. They tend to become violent.

[nygurl1]

Where did you get that 1/2assd idea from. A TV Show?

[ksmit2]

Even old people have their limits. The boy's photo supplied for
the story doesn't help his case. Another wise a*s that no one
could stand to deal with. "Unarmed"? The average teenager can
kill or seriously injure an elderly person with little effort.
The is what happens when we try to help someone who believes that
what he wants is far more important than anything else on earth.
I certainly hope this old lady goes free. Who knows what punishment
she endured while hoping to help one who couldn't and wouldn't
be helped.

[ugleyme]

All you doomers must be Republicans.

[nygurl1]

Where are you jerks getting this junk from?
I think you are on drugs. If she does I hope she visits you!

[Farver4girls]

I think the grandmother is guilty of open murder. I could justify her behavior if she truly was afraid of him and had only shot him once. But shooting him eight times was overkill. That's cold-blooded murder to me.

[nygurl1]

Finally, someone who read it and makes some sense!

[r_kriegar]

I seriously doubt it. The article says that she was in court, ignoring the officials, and blowing kisses at her husband. Presumably, she is cracked.

Apparently, nygurl1 below is too young to see this.

[bchildress78]

Does anyone else think she looks like a crazy susan sarandon?