A Wisconsin man will likely spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of murdering his grandmother in a harrowing case of domestic violence and gun-related crime.
On Tuesday, Waukesha County Circuit Judge J. Arthur Melvin III sentenced Sean C. Couture, 25, to 26 years to life in a state correctional facility for the fatal shooting of 74-year-old Nancy Lovejoy in August 2024. The sentencing follows a plea agreement in which Couture admitted to first-degree intentional homicide with a domestic abuse modifier.
In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to dismiss additional charges of failing to comply with an officer and operating a firearm while intoxicated. Couture was credited with 388 days of time already served.
The Night of the Crime
According to court documents, police were called to the 200 block of Douglass Avenue in Waukesha at about 8:32 p.m. on August 25, 2024, after reports of gunfire. The 911 call came from Couture’s parents, who were out of state but received a disturbing phone call from their son. He told them, “It’s over, it’s over,” confessing that he had just shot his grandmother and planned to take his own life.
When officers arrived, Couture barricaded himself inside the home. Police deployed a drone and located the body of an elderly woman lying motionless on the basement stairs. A tactical rescue team waited until Couture entered a bedroom before entering the home and removing the victim.
Lovejoy was rushed to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead from multiple gunshot wounds.
High Blood Alcohol Level
Authorities detained Couture with the assistance of a K-9 unit. He registered a blood alcohol content of 0.45, more than five times the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle. Inside the home, police found a handgun, several loaded magazines, and a receipt showing Couture had purchased the firearm just two months earlier, on June 4, 2024.
Confession and Motive
While in custody at the hospital, Couture asked repeatedly about his grandmother, referencing her being shot even though officers had only told him she was injured and had died.
Investigators say Couture eventually admitted that the shooting followed an argument after Lovejoy discovered the firearm in his room. According to the affidavit:
“The Defendant stated he believed his grandmother was going to call the police about the Defendant having a gun and he shot her as she was just outside the side door to the residence.”
Couture further confessed to dragging her body inside onto the basement stairs because he “didn’t want to leave her body outside.” He also admitted to drinking heavily before and after the killing.
A Tragic Case of Domestic Gun Violence
This case underscores the devastating consequences of gun violence, alcohol abuse, and domestic disputes. Legal experts note that such crimes often result in life sentences due to their severity, particularly when the victim is an elderly family member.