Mother-of-two murdered in Upper East Side by ex-mother-in-law following custody dispute

A New York mother was fatally shot in front of her young daughter by her former mother-in-law , who then killed herself in a murder-suicide, police have said.

Marisa Galloway, 45, was killed by Kathleen Leigh, 65, on Friday night in the Upper East Side , following a custody dispute over her daughter, four.

Galloway, a special education teacher, had just loaded her daughter into the backseat of a parked white Honda Civic when Leigh shot her twice, police sources told The New York Post.

Leigh, a retired Chicago probation officer, then took her own life.

Galloway was an avid runner and a long-time member of the Central Park Track Club, of which she was also an advisory board member. Friends said she would often take her two daughters, four and one, on stroller runs, per The Post.

She was described as a “wonderful mother” with “the biggest heart.”

The mother-of-two was in a custody battle with her ex-husband, Leigh’s son, over their 4-year-old daughter, police said.

Neighbors who spoke to The Post said they were aware of the conflict between the former couple, and that Leigh had been living with her son nearby while she received treatment for terminal cancer.

The situation seemingly escalated in July 2021, when authorities filed two domestic incident reports in quick succession after Galloway and her ex got into arguments, including one in a doctor’s office, law-enforcement sources said.

Between July and November that year five domestic incidents were reported, with Galloway’s former partner alleging that his daughter had come home with bruises. An investigation later found the accusations to be unfounded.

In a message posted to social media, the club described Galloway as “a great friend to many of us.”

“With heavy hearts, we are sad to announce the tragic passing of Marisa Galloway,” the post read. “She was a long time member of the club, former board member and current advisory board member.”

“She was a wonderful mother, a dedicated runner and a great friend to so many of us.  She had the biggest heart and touched everyone she met.  She had also been a Fordham coach and was loved by all her athletes.  She will be missed by the entire club.”

A GoFundMe page set up for Galloway had raised over $45,000 by Sunday. The page description read: “Marisa Galloway touched everyone she met.

“Her kindness, generosity, and love were unparalleled. She devoted her whole life to her two beautiful daughters, Lili and Mariel...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.”