Former mother-in-law charged with Salt Lake City murder

SALT LAKE CITY — A 70-year-old woman was charged Thursday with killing her former daughter-in-law.

Mary Nance Hanson is accused of shooting Tetyana Nikitina, 34, on Jan. 29 as Nikitina left the Salt Lake CAP Head Start school, 336 E. 3900 South, where she worked as a preschool teacher.

As soon as Nikitina got into her car and began driving away, Hanson unloaded a .38-caliber revolver at her from close distance, according to investigators.

Another person in the parking lot who witnessed the shooting said a person in a gray hoodie walked up to Nikitina's car "and began shooting a gun at the driver. The person then emptied the gun, appeared to reload it, opened the door … and fired again," the charges state.

Prosecutors say Nikitina was shot four times in the head.

Hanson was charged in 3rd District Court Thursday with murder, a first-degree felony. If convicted, she could spend 15 years to life in prison.

Hanson's son, Dale Jankowski, was formerly married to Nikitina, but she filed for divorce in 2005. Since then, the two have had an ugly custody battle over their two children, which lasted several years and was still unresolved at the time of the shooting, according to court records.

— Pat Reavy