Center City real estate agent charged in boyfriend's murder

FISHTOWN (WPVI) -- A Center City real estate agent has been charged with murdering her boyfriend earlier this week inside their Fishtown apartment.

Police say the victim, Terry Corrigan, was shot point-blank in the face.

It appears a minor argument escalated to murder, and now the victim's family wants to know why.

"I almost feel like I want to hug her because, what happened? What drove you to do this," asked Corrigan's sister, Michelle Corrigan.

Relatives of Terry Corrigan are numb. They cannot believe his girlfriend, Jeanette Wakefield, shot and killed their loved one early Wednesday morning, with her two young children just steps away in the apartment.

"It's just a senseless tragedy that didn't need to be what it was. It's a shame. Now two families are affected - one of which we will never see again, and the young children of Jeanette," said Corrigan's cousin Robert Clark.

"I'm dumbfounded... I can't believe it," says Michelle. "I actually thought that maybe it wasn't my brother that she shot, because they loved each other."

Police and the family say the couple had an argument earlier in the night over a movie and a broken heirloom table. How that turned to murder is baffling.

Corrigan had a history of drug arrests, but police say there were no reports of domestic violence.

"They had an argument. Ms. Wakefield lives there, Mr. Corrigan is often a guest. An argument ensued, he was out in the hallway, she opened the door and shot him one time in the face," said Philadelphia Police Captain John Ryan.

Wakefield was a real estate agent - her sign is atop the building where the murder occurred. Wakefield's LinkedIn profile says she's an agent with Coldwell Banker. However, when we contacted Coldwell Banker they said she is no longer with the company, noting that her last deal was in July.

Police say Wakefield had a license to carry, and Corrigan's family says it was Terry who urged her to get it because of her job.

"I'm gonna remember him for the all the good times we had - we had many. I never had a brother, I have one sister, and my cousin was like my brother," said Clark.

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