Raleigh woman charged with murder collapses in court

A Raleigh woman, who is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of her husband, collapsed during her first court appearance Tuesday afternoon when a Wake County judge told her she could face life in prison without parole or the death penalty.

Posted 6:58 p.m. Jul 5, 2016 — Updated 11:08 p.m. Jul 5, 2016

RALEIGH, N.C. — A Raleigh woman, who is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of her husband, collapsed during her first court appearance Tuesday afternoon when a Wake County judge told her she could face life in prison without parole or the death penalty.

Tara Leigh Rice, 44, was arrested Friday after her husband, Mark Rice, was declared dead inside the couple's apartment in the 1200 block of Rio Wild Drive, near the intersection of Falls of Neuse and Durant roads.

Police said the shooting was not a random act and stemmed from a domestic dispute.

According to police, officers had been called to the Rice's apartment in 2012 and 2014 for domestic disturbances. In 2014, Mark Rice was charged with assault on a female, but the charge was later dropped.

Tara Rice was being held in the Wake County Detention Center.

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