Lebanon County DA: No charges in domestic shooting death

Investigators conclude wife shot husband in self-defense

(Lebanon) — No charges will be filed against a woman who shot and killed her husband in their Campbelltown home in July.

Investigators have concluded Kelly Urban acted in self-defense when she shot a single bullet into her husband David Urban’s abdomen as he came after her in the couple’s bathroom.

The couple had a long history of domestic violence, according to Lebanon County District Attorney David Arnold who made the announcement in a news release Tuesday afternoon.

South Londonderry Township police were called to the couple’s home at 2703 Horseshoe Drive shortly after 1 a.m. on July 3 by Kelly Urban, who told them she had just shot her husband, according to court documents.

When the first officer arrived, he saw Kelly Urban, crying and upset, exit the apartment with her hands in the air. When other officers arrived, they went inside the house where they found David Urban, lying semi-conscious on the bathroom floor and bleeding from a stomach wound.

He was taken by ambulance to Hershey Medical Center where he later died.

Kelly Urban was interviewed on multiple occasions, never wavering from the details of the shooting or the events leading up to it, Arnold said.

According to the report, the couple had been arguing for several hours when David Urban picked up a handgun, led his wife into their bathroom and told her that he was coming after her and the only way for her to stop him was to shoot him. He then shoved the gun into his wife’s hand and started choking her.

Kelly Urban told police that she shot her husband when she was near the point of losing consciousness as he continued to strangle her.

Evidence that included forensic analysis of the crime scene, ballistics testing and autopsy results supported the conclusion that Kelly Urban was justified in shooting her husband, Arnold said in his report.

“Based upon all of the evidence collected in this investigation, there exists no evidence to prove that Kelly Urban was not legally justified in firing a handgun and shooting David Urban,” he said. “Based upon the evidence available to us and the application of the appropriate laws, she was justified because she reasonably believed deadly force was necessary to protect herself from death or serious bodily injury.”

Arnold praised the collaborative effort of investigators from the Lebanon County Detective Bureau, South Londonderry Township police and his office.

“This obviously was a difficult and emotionally charged investigation,” he said. “We investigated not only the shooting itself, but whether or not the actions of Kelly Urban were justified under the laws of Pennsylvania. This required a great deal of teamwork and investigation among the police agencies.”

This story is part of a partnership between WITF and the Lebanon Daily News.