The victim, 51-year-old Rachel Wagner, had been living in the US for nearly three decades with an American husband, who she was separated from, and her 14-year-old daughter Lilyana Rose Wagner before the shooting on November 19.
The Tifton Police Department said in a statement police arrived at a residence on the 100 block of East 18th St about 8am to contact Wagner in regards to her daughter being in a car crash about 157km away in Bibb County.
During that time officers were unable to reach anyone at the residence. After contacting the victim’s employer who was still unable to locate her, the officer returned to the residence.
Once police arrived, they found Wagner dead in the back bedroom with an apparent gunshot wound.
Further investigation and evidence revealed that Lilyana was connected to the shooting death of her mother.
Police allege Lilyana took her mother’s car and was involved in an accident in Bibb County.
She has been charged with one count of malice murder and was being held at the regional youth detention center.
Wagner’s sister-in-law, Christchurch resident Kiri Te Paea, told the New Zealand Herald the family was “beside themselves” and working to get Wagner’s body home from Tifton Country, Georgia.
Te Paea told the Herald they were still coming to terms with the fact Lilyana was facing a murder charge.
Te Paea told the Herald Lilyana had been homeschooled for several months. She was considered “withdrawn and anti-social” in the lead-up to the shooting, Te Paea said.
She said Lilyana was “[Wagner’s] whole world” and she worked two jobs to support her daughter.
“She gave her everything, they were best friends, she loved her baby so much.”
She told the Herald Wagner’s mum, stepdad and brother in Christchurch got the call from the US Coroner last week.
“[Wagner]‘s mum can’t even talk about it ... she’s really struggling to process it.”
