More details released in fatal Phoenix townhouse shooting

Court documents released Friday indicate a 28-year-old mother shot dead in her Phoenix town home was killed after police say she smelled marijuana and ordered the suspect to leave.

Police say Jacqueline Catano returned home Oct. 15 to the smell of marijuana smoke and ordered an acquaintance of her husband's, identified as 26-year-old Vanessa A. Bedell, to go.

Bedell is charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, vehicle theft, and marijuana and dangerous drug violations, court records show.

According to the documents, Jacqueline's husband, Francisco Catano, initially stated he was asleep when he heard a loud noise coming from the kitchen area. He told police that he found the front door to the apartment open and that Jacqueline was bleeding from her head in the kitchen.

He eventually told police that Jacqueline arrived home from work a few minutes before the shooting occurred, court documents said.

He said that his wife observed his friend, "Tess," in the residence and could smell marijuana, at which time Jacqueline began to yell and told Tess to leave. Francisco said Tess became upset and pulled out a handgun, pointing it directly at Jacqueline, according to court documents.

Francisco claimed he attempted to de-escalate the situation when Tess fired one shot at Jacqueline and then proceeded to grab her purse and leave the apartment, records show.

Francisco later admitted he lied to police and did not intervene because he was scared for his safety, court documents show.

According to court documents, police found a .380-caliber casing near the kitchen area, as well as a manila envelope containing paperwork belonging to Bedell, which led police to believe she was present during the incident.

The paperwork included records for a gun purchased the day prior to the incident, documents said.

Police showed Francisco a picture of Bedell, and he identified her as the subject known as Tess.

Police say they later located Bedell in Francisco's stolen Chevy Suburban, which contained a handgun, Jacqueline's purse and marijuana and methamphetamine, according to court documents.

Officer James Holmes, a Phoenix police spokesman, said the investigation is ongoing.