NEWPORT BEACH : Woman Arrested in Slaying Released

A 49-year-old Newport Beach woman arrested Tuesday in the shooting death of her estranged husband was released from jail Thursday after prosecutors declined to file homicide charges against her.

Helen Susan Parser, who police said admitted firing the single gunshot that killed Roger Hughes, 42, of Long Beach, was released from custody when the Orange County district attorney’s office concluded there was not enough evidence to prosecute her.

Newport Beach Police Sgt. Andy Gonis said law enforcement officials are required by law to release suspects after two days in custody if charges are not filed. Newport Beach police said the investigation is continuing, however.

Police arrested Parser at her Upper Newport Bay townhouse about 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. The fully clothed victim was found by police on the floor of an upstairs bedroom. Law enforcement officers believe Hughes was gunned down several hours before they were notified of the shooting by a friend of Parser’s.

Newport Beach police said it was still unclear Thursday whether the couple’s 1984 marriage in Las Vegas was officially dissolved. They were not living together at the time of the shooting.

Although Parser had bruises at the time of her arrest, police said after her release that the investigation “revealed that a questionable altercation between Parser and Hughes took place in the residence.”

Deputy Dist. Atty. Lewis Rosenblum said he refused to file charges because more evidence was needed to determine whether Parser was defending herself during a fight with Huges.

“A man was shot and a woman obviously suffered some injuries,” Rosenblum said, “and what we need to do is take a good, hard look to see if it was self-defense, if it was legal self-defense, and if there was some other motive for the killing.”

During their investigation, detectives learned that Hughes “had displayed violent tendencies on several occasions in the past,” according to a police statement.

Included in the files of the Pasadena Police Department, Gonis said, was an incident in which Hughes attacked Parser with a fireplace poker and she “defended herself by slashing him with a knife.” Newport police said Hughes also had ignored a restraining order by telephoning her.

After her release from jail, Parser appeared to be stunned by the events of the last few days. Bruises on her face and neck were thinly disguised by thick makeup she said she applied to hide the injuries.