Rachel Wooten spent her final hours alive in fear, texting a family member that she was afraid for her life just moments before her fiance allegedly executed her in their Michigan home while their infant child looked on.
Background
Wooten, a 23-year-old mother from Highland Township, had been in a relationship with Michael Devon Webb, also 23. The couple lived together with their 6-month-old child in the 200 block of Maple Drive, a quiet residential neighborhood about 40 miles northwest of Detroit.
Friends and family described Wooten as a devoted young mother navigating the challenges of new parenthood alongside her partner. The Oaklands County community would later learn that beneath the surface of their domestic life, something was terribly wrong.
"She reached out for help," said one family member who requested anonymity. "That text message was her cry for help."
The Investigation
On April 15, 2025, deputies with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a shooting at the couple's home around 4 p.m. When authorities arrived, they found Wooten had been shot in the neck at very close range.
Webb called 911 himself, identifying himself as the caller and telling dispatchers he "had shot his fiancee and himself." He sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound that investigators later determined came from the same bullet that killed Wooten.
"The defendant claimed he was cleaning his gun when the shooting occurred," the Oakland County Prosecuting Attorney's Office stated. "However, evidence recovered from the residence did not support that this was an accidental discharge."
When questioned by police, Webb maintained his account, saying, "It was an accident." Their 6-month-old child was found inside the home unharmed.
"Michael Webb executed Rachel Wooten in front of their child, then called 911 and lied about it," Oakland County Prosecutor Karen D. McDonald said following Webb's conviction. "He will most likely spend the rest of his life in prison, as he should."
The Trial
A Pontiac jury found Webb guilty of first-degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of a felony. Prosecutors presented Wooten's chilling text message to family members as evidence, showing she had expressed fear for her life on the very day she was killed.
The trial revealed the intimate details of a relationship that ended in tragedy—a young family destroyed in an instant by violence prosecutors described as premeditated execution rather than accident.
"While this verdict holds him accountable, nothing can bring back Rachel Wooten or change the fact that her child will grow up without a mother," McDonald said. "Too many women and children are living in fear of domestic violence without the resources or support to escape."
Key Takeaways
- Michael Webb, 23, convicted of first-degree murder for killing his fiancee Rachel Wooten on April 15, 2025
- Wooten texted a family member expressing fear for her life hours before she was shot in the neck at close range
- Their 6-month-old child was present during the shooting and found unharmed inside the home
- Webb called 911 claiming the shooting was accidental while "cleaning his gun"—evidence did not support this account
- Investigators determined both victims were struck by the same bullet fired from Webb's weapon
What's Next
Webb is scheduled to be sentenced on October 7, where he faces a likely term of life in prison without parole. Community advocates are using Wooten's case to highlight resources available for domestic violence survivors and the warning signs that often precede such tragedies.