Woman, 80, who shot and killed an intruder after he broke in and stabbed her husband in the kitchen 'just did what I had to do'

An 80-year-old great-grandmother shot and killed an intruder in her home after he stabbed her husband and hit him with a crowbar.

Barb Moles, a grandmother of eight and great-grandmother of three, had been at her home in Seattle with her husband John and their adult son when she heard an altercation at the front of the house.

When she went into the kitchen to check the noise, she discovered her husband, John, lying in a pool of blood.

He told her he had been stabbed and without a second's thought, Mrs. Moles raced to her bedroom to retrieve a .38 caliber gun before confronting the intruder, named as Steven N. Sheppard, in the hallway.

She fired the weapon four times, with three of her shots hitting the 25-year-old intruder who was later pronounced dead at the scene.

Mrs. Moles said she had to protect her family.

She told KOMO: 'You know how mothers are with their kids. That's the way I am with my husband. I just protect his back. I'm not just the typical granny — in case you haven't noticed.

'I felt like if I hadn't, my son and I might both be dead and my husband might have bled to death on the kitchen floor. You know, never in my whole life did I ever anticipate having to take another life — especially at age 80.'

Authorities investigating the case believe Sheppard may have been looking for prescription drugs to steal when he was disturbed by Mr. Moles.