A 53-year-old Indiana man, Stephen Gower, is accused of murdering his wife, Christina. Allegedly, Gower claimed initially that she had died by suicide, but later admitted to a confrontation stemming from finding out that his wife had messaged other men, according to him.
Videos by Suggest
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Law & Crime, the incident occurred on August 4. The Charlestown Police Department and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office responded to a Charlestown New Market Road after a Gower called 911.
Allegedly, Gower claimed that his wife, Christina, had shot herself in the head. Upon arrival, however, Gower made several troubling statements, such as “take me to jail,” and “Shoot me” to responding officers, as per the affidavit.
Inside the residence, police found the woman’s body in the master bedroom’s doorway, lying in a pool of blood. She had suffered a gunshot wound to the head. However, a detective pointed out that there were no “visible burns or stippling” on Christina’s head. This means that it wasn’t consistent “with a close shot or contact shot to the head.”
Suspect Interview
Things changed when police interviewed Gower. As per the document, he allegedly admitted to finding messages on Christina’s phone. The messages, according to him, showed that she was talking with other men and “Indicated she was having an affair.”
The married couple consumed alcohol throughout the evening and into the early morning, and a physical altercation ensued between the two, as per the affidavit. Gower allegedly admitted to breaking, holding his wife’s wrist, and breaking a chair and a light fixture.
At one point, Gower revealed that he had allegedly pointed a firearm and an AR-15 at his head. He also expressed “suicidal ideation,” as per the affidavit. Gower allegedly stated that “he had hoped his wife would pull the trigger.”
Additionally, the 53-year-old man allegedly gave inconsistent statements about his location at the time of his wife’s supposed self-inflicted gunshot.
An autopsy was conducted on August 5. A chief medical examiner stated that the gunshot wound that took Christina’s life “appeared to have been from 3ft away or greater.” The affidavit stated that, due to the distance, the woman could not have shot herself in the head.
Stephen Gower was arrested and charged with murder. As reported by PEOPLE, he pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 16.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also chat with a representative at thehotline.org​ or by texting “START” to 88788.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline​. The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available.