Woman profited off slain high schooler's death, Indiana cops say. She's charged
When an Indiana high school student was shot and killed during a fall festival, a woman promised she would print and sell T-shirts to benefit the victim's family, authorities say.
Instead, she is accused of pocketing the money, profiting off the death of 18-year-old Bryce Gerlach.
Accused of not handing over more than $13,000 in funds, Amber Tower now reportedly faces a conversion charge following the months-long investigation by the Harrison County Sheriff's Office, according to WDRB.
'The facts of this case are a difficult one,' Harrison County Prosecutor Otto Schalk told WDRB. 'They're a difficult case to stomach. You see an individual that's alleged to have been exploiting the senseless death of one of our Harrison County teens. It's hard to stomach.'
Gerlach, a senior at Corydon Central High School, was fatally shot Oct. 12 during the Harvest Homecoming festival in New Albany, according to WAVE and the New Albany Police Department. Two others were also shot.
Tower, the owner of Tower's Tees, posted on social media that she would print T-shirts that would benefit the Gerlach family, according to WLKY. The Gerlach family, however, never received any of the $13,615.93 in donations.
One of Tower's employees tipped off local authorities in March, alleging the company printed 800 shirts for the fundraisers that totaled around $19,000, according to the affidavit obtained by WAVE. The worker quit when learning the money had not been donated to the family.
'(Tower) then joked around and said that her giving the 'Justice for Bryce' T-shirts (for free) should cover the donations,' WHAS reported, citing the court documents.
Tower recently turned herself in and was bailed out of jail on a $1,000 bond, according to WAVE 3. Her attorney, Richard Rush, said Tower is innocent and has cooperated in the investigation.
'From the outset, Ms. Tower expressed her willingness to remit the full amount of proceeds raised during the fundraising efforts,' Rush said in a statement to WAVE. 'Weeks before any criminal charge was filed, her counsel communicated her intent to remit the full amount referenced in the probable cause affidavit. That offer remains open. Despite efforts to resolve this matter constructively and transparently, no resolution was reached prior to the filing of charges.'
A conversion charge means Tower 'knowingly or intentionally exert(ed) unauthorized control over property of another person.'
The New Albany Police Department announced in November multiple people had been charged in Gerlach's death.
New Albany is a suburb of Louisville, Kentucky.
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