YAKIMA, Wash. -- State evidence technicians are expected to be in Yakima today to examine the car in which a Montana man says his wife was fatally shot by a hitchhiker on Interstate 82.

Former Yakima resident Sheryl Huntley, 40, died about 2:45 p.m. Wednesday after being taken off life support at Yakima Regional Medical and Cardiac Center, authorities said.

She died from a single gunshot to the head nearly 12 hours after her common-law husband reported that both of them had been shot by a man they picked up on Interstate 82 outside of Selah.

Huntley's death -- the 13th homicide in Yakima County this year -- is one of the more unusual cases for 2009. Random homicides are rare in Yakima County, especially those involving motorists.

Stew Graham, chief of detectives for the sheriff's office, said the husband is not a suspect.

"I've got no reason to disbelieve anything he's told us," Graham said Wednesday afternoon.

The husband, 34-year-old Stephen Harwood, was treated at Yakima Regional for a gunshot wound to the hand and then spent at least two hours speaking to detectives at the sheriff's office.

The couple had been headed to Yakima from Thompson Falls, Mont. -- nearly three hours east of Spokane -- to pick up a relative and return with her to Montana, Graham said.

Yakima police learned of the incident about 3:30 a.m. when they stopped a vehicle at South First Street and Walnut Avenue.

The driver said he had picked up a hitchhiker south of the southbound rest area, north of Selah, and was then robbed, according to the sheriff's office.

Although details are unclear, the driver said he tried to stop the car and struggle with the hitchhiker, who fired several shots at the man and his wife.

The hitchhiker got out of the car somewhere between the East Selah and Rest Haven exits.

The driver proceeded to Yakima and drove south on First Street to Union Gap before turning around and flagging down another motorist to help him find a hospital.

Harwood resumed driving north on First Street, and police stopped him after the other motorist called 9-1-1.

He told detectives he was not familiar with the area and did not have a phone.

The sheriff's office said Harwood gave a very detailed description of the hitchhiker. He said the man was Hispanic, probably around 20, about 5 feet 6 inches and skinny. His head was shaved, with a longer bit of hair across the forehead, a scar over his left eye and a "sharp" jaw line. His nose may have been broken in the past. He was wearing a red bandanna, white T-shirt, navy blue Dickies pants and two diamond stud earrings.

The man said he was driving erratically to attract attention and may have been involved in a minor, unreported crash with another vehicle before the traffic stop.

The man was driving a blue 2003 Dodge Neon with four doors and Montana license plates.

Anyone with information about this case may call the sheriff's office at 509-574-2500.

* Mark Morey can be reached at 509-577-7671 or mmorey@yakimaherald.com.