A woman who killed the mother of her granddaughter and then herself in a murder-suicide allegedly had a sinister plan. Marisa Galloway, 45, was shot and killed by Kathleen Leight, 65, her 4-year-old daughter's grandmother, in New York City in late July. According to newly filed court documents, the terminally ill grandmother reportedly killed Galloway so her son could have full custody of his daughter.
The New York Post reported that John and Nancy Galloway have filed an emergency court petition alleging Leigh's son, Zachariah Reed, ran off to his family's multimillion-dollar home in Chicago to prevent them from seeing their granddaughter, Lilli, under the guise of mourning the loss of their daughter. The grandparents already have lost their daughter and don't want to lose Lilli, too.
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Reed and Galloway lived in New York at the time of her death.
According to the Post, Marisa and Reed were in a relationship and lived together in New York until 2021, when they broke up. The parents had a custody agreement in place for Lilli that noted they would remain in New York City until the child turned 18.
The Galloways reportedly played an active role in Lilli's life and in the life of her sister, Mariel, who was conceived via sperm donor. The grandparents currently have custody of Mariel but have not seen Lilli since her father left for Chicago, according to court documents.
The grandparents want custody of Lilli.
In a court filing, the grandparents allege Reed is keeping Lilli from them, and they want a judge to grant Marisa's portion of the custody agreement to them.
"Clearly, [Reed's] mother had a deliberate plan to kill Marisa in order to provide custody for her son," the court papers charge. "Unfortunately, [Reed] has demonstrated an absolute intention to further those same goals of his mother as he has refused to provide us with any access to Lili at all in almost 3 weeks."
The deaths shocked law enforcement.
"She took away the child's mother in order to make her son happy … it's shocking," a law-enforcement source shared with the Post about Leigh right after the horrific murder-suicide. "I've seen a lot of s— but this is Biblical s—."
The Galloways want Lilli back in New York.
As part of their filing, they requested Reed move back to the city with Lilli so they can continue to play an active role in her life. They have primary custody of Mariel and want the sisters to be raised together as their mother intended. Instead, they claim Reed keeps them away completely.
"When we did not see [Lilli], we would Facetime almost every day," Nancy wrote in an affidavit.
The grandmother added, "While Marisa was always the best mother, we would love to be involved with all aspects of taking care of an infant, toddler, and ultimately the little girl that Lili currently is."
The grandparents are concerned about what Reed has told his daughter.
Sadly, the grandparents fear the information being given to their granddaughter. They claim they haven't been updated about the child or how she is dealing with the loss of her mother.
"We have no idea how [Lili] is doing, or what [Reed] has even told Lili about her mother," the court papers read. "This is beyond unacceptable and must be rectified immediately."
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Loved ones created a GoFundMe account for the girls.
Marc Bellanger wrote on the fundraiser page, "Marisa Galloway touched everyone she met. Her kindness, generosity, and love were unparalleled. She devoted her whole life to her two beautiful daughters…they were her world. Marisa's untimely passing will leave a void in all of our lives. But her memory will live on in her daughters and in all of our hearts."
The page has raised $120,000 of a $150,000 goal thus far.
