Zhanna Veber, 29, was shot at close range in a row over custody of their child.
Zhanna Veber, 29, was shot dead in front of her son Dmitry, pictured together
She was killed by her husband Anatoly Leontikov, 36, with a supposedly “non-lethal” pneumatic weapon, according to police.
Their son Dmitry watched as his mother was shot.
The popular television personality in the Krasnodar region of southern Russian died on the way to hospital, say reports.
Leontikov then fled with with the boy, taking him to stay with his family before going on the run. He gave himself up to police yesterday.
She was killed by her estranged husband Anatoly Leontikov, pictured, with her and her son
Zhanna split from him two years ago but they were not officially divorced, say reports.
He arrived at her house and they quarrelled over his access to the child, which she had tried to limit, according to friends.
An unnamed friend of Zhanna said: "The scandal began because of the child.
"They have been separated for two years. Zhanna wanted to limit his access to the child."
Zhanna's colleagues have been left devastated by her death
Zhanna's ex handed himself into police yesterday after fleeing the crime scene, cops say
The couple were separated by not divorced
He had been away working as a builder on construction sites near Moscow and when he returned, he had moved into her home for a while, but then left.
On 26 December, he returned and "broke a window" to gain access, said the friend.
"After she died, he took the boy to his relatives."
The friend said Zhanna was "ambitious" and had "big plans for her life".
He allegedly killed her using a pneumatic gun
The couple had rowed over the custody of their son Dmitry, cops said
Their visions "did not coincide".
She "wanted to move to a big city" while he "worked as a foreman building houses".
He was a former policeman who had a permit to carry the pneumatic gun, said the friend.
Her television station - Laba TV - ran a broadcast paying tribute to the dead presenter.