Amber Bender
KINGMAN – A 7.5-year prison sentence has been ordered in the case of a Henderson, Nevada woman who shot her husband in the back during a July 3, 2024 quarrel in Dolan Springs.
Amber Bender, 49, previously pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for the shooting that left her husband hospitalized for four months, requiring multiple surgeries and the removal of his spleen. Deputy county attorney Leah Nelson said the victim suffers declining health and ongoing medical challenges.
Public Defender Paul Amann said alcohol and gambling addiction, coupled with the unhealthy dynamics of caring for her ailing mother in Henderson while away from her Arizona residence, was a recipe for tragedy.
Amann said Bender has learned she should have trusted her husband and embraced his encouragement to address her personal problems rather than shunning him in her downward spiral.
“I’m sorry I shot you. I’m sorry for your pain and suffering,” Bender said during her February 3 sentencing hearing in Kingman. “I hope you don’t close your heart forever … I hope you find happiness.”
In her letter to the Court, Bender’s mother called the shooting “a grave act” that revealed her daughter’s “dark side.” The woman said the jailing of her daughter has left her without the domestic assistance she requires.
Both attorneys noted the victim’s support for the woman who shot him.
“He has found forgiveness for the defendant,” Nelson said.
Amann said remorse and forgiveness is reflected in the face and demeanor of the victim. He said his compassion is admirable. “The world would be a better place” if more people were like him, Amann offered.
The punishment ordered by Mohave County Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen was right in the middle of the 5- to 15-year prison range agreed upon in the plea deal.
Dave Hawkins
