IREDELL COUNTY, NC (LOOTPRESS) — A 70-year-old man is in custody and facing a murder charge after reportedly calling 911 to confess to fatally shooting his wife early Friday morning.
According to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, emergency dispatchers received a call at 8:13 a.m. on Friday, May 16, 2025, from Bobby Lee Collins, who claimed he had shot his wife around 7:00 a.m. at their home. Collins told dispatchers he had locked the house and had the keys with him, and that he was sitting in his vehicle at the intersection of Powell Bridge Road and Harmony Highway.
Deputies responded immediately and quickly located the suspect vehicle, taking Collins into custody without incident. Additional deputies proceeded to the Collins’ residence, where they discovered the body of a woman inside the home. She was later identified as 69-year-old Iona Collins and pronounced dead at the scene by Iredell County EMS.
The home was secured, and investigators from the Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit and Crime Scene Division obtained and executed a search warrant. Several items of evidence were collected from the scene, though officials have not disclosed specific details as the investigation remains ongoing.
Collins was transported to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, where he was interviewed and subsequently charged with murder. He appeared before Magistrate M. Nethken and is currently being held without bond.
Authorities say the investigation is still active, and further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
