The retired probation officer who was terminally ill and tragically shot her ex-daughter-in-law on the Upper East Side before taking her own life was found with a mysterious note in her pocket, sources informed The Post.
The note had the words “For Police” written on it, according to the source.
Kathleen Leigh, the retired probation officer, fatally shot her ex-daughter-in-law, Marisa Galloway, on East 88th Street Friday morning in the midst of a bitter custody dispute involving Leigh’s granddaughter.
The exact contents of the note were not immediately disclosed.
Galloway, a 45-year-old mother of two, had just placed her 1-year-old daughter in the backseat of a parked car during a custody exchange when Leigh shot her in the head and back, the police reported.
Following the shooting, Leigh took her own life. Fortunately, the baby was unharmed in the incident.
Galloway, a special education teacher, was embroiled in a custody battle over her 4-year-old daughter with Leigh’s son.
Leigh, a 65-year-old retired probation officer from Cook County, Illinois, was battling terminal cancer and resided with her son on East 79th Street while undergoing treatment.
When contacted by the Post, Leigh’s daughter declined to comment on the tragic incident.
Neighbors revealed that Leigh frequently voiced concerns that Galloway was mistreating the 4-year-old girl, a stark contrast to the image of a caring and loving mother painted by Galloway’s neighbors.
“She was so wonderful and she loved her kids,” one resident of Galloway’s East 86th Street apartment building tearfully shared with The Post.
Between July and November 2021, the police received five reports of domestic incidents involving Galloway and her ex-partner. The father alleged in multiple reports that his daughter returned home with bruises, as per sources.
Two of the incidents resulted in complaints to the Administration for Children’s Services but were ultimately deemed unfounded, according to sources.
Following their separation, the couple shared custody, with the father having custody from Friday to Monday, while Galloway had their daughter for the rest of the week, sources disclosed.
Security footage revealed that Leigh shot Galloway once after she placed her young daughter and a stroller in the car, then fired another shot at her back while she was on the ground before taking her own life, stated NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
Galloway was discovered covered in blood but still breathing near the car’s rear, while Leigh was found on the ground nearby. Two handguns were recovered at the scene.
Leigh was pronounced dead at the scene, while Galloway was rushed to Weill Cornell Medical Center, where she was declared dead upon arrival, Kenny confirmed.
Additional reporting by Georgett Roberts, Dean Balsamini, and Georgia Worrell
