MEMPHIS, TN – Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons announced Thursday that after deliberating for a little more than two hours, a criminal court jury found a Memphis man guilty for the 2008 murder of his wife.

The jury convicted James Britt, 44, for first degree murder.  Judge Mark Ward immediately sentenced Britt to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 51 years.

According to testimony, in the late evening of February 24, 2008, Britt shot Jennifer Grosser-Britt one time in the back of the head while she lay in bed inside an abandoned home in the Nutbush area.  James Britt claimed he tripped and accidentally shot his wife.  However, the medical examiner stated the victim suffered a contact wound just behind the left ear.  Witnesses testified that earlier they watched the defendant and his wife fight in their yard. 

First degree murder is a charge covered by the D.A.’s “No Deals” policy on violent crimes. Exceptions to the policy are made only for legal or ethical reasons.

Assistant District Attorneys Missy Branham and Jennifer Morris prosecuted this case.  Both are assigned to the D.A.’s Domestic Violence Prosecution Unit. 

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