A man who was shot and killed by a pellet gun last week in Graham has been officially identified.
Rickey Albers, 51, was killed near the 25300 block of 52nd Avenue East on May 1. His cause and manner of death is listed as "pending," according to the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office. That is a temporary designation used when additional investigation, information and/or test results are required for certification.
Albers' girlfriend, Nicole Lynn Johnson, 49, is accused of fatally shooting him at their residence after she discovered he was romantically involved with others. She was charged Friday with second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter and fourth-degree assault, court records show.
A plea of not guilty was entered on her behalf, and her bail was set at $750,000, records show. She is in custody at Pierce County Jail.
Johnson claimed that she was not aware the pellet gun was loaded before she allegedly fired at Albers. The night of the shooting, a neighbor saw Albers running out of the trailer and yelling, "Call 911, she shot me." Johnson ran behind and said, "Knock it off, it was just a BB gun," documents show.
When Johnson learned that Albers was deceased, she asked a Pierce County deputy to shoot her. She was then arrested and taken into custody.
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