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Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Police Say Indiana Man Made Odd Comments After Claiming His Wife Died By Suicide: 'She Was Talking to Other Men'
Stephen Gower, 53, called 911 claiming his wife, Christina Gower, shot herself in the head with an AR-15-style rifle, authorities allegeNEED TO KNOW Stephen Gower, 53, of Indiana, called 911 on Aug. 4 claiming his wife, Christina Gower, died by suicide He allegedly told police he found out she had been talking to other men Gower allegedly begged police to "take me to jail" and "shoot me" when they arrived at his house after he called 911An Indiana man called 911 to report that his wife had shot and killed herself with an AR-15 — but now he is charged with murdering her, authorities say. On Aug. 4, police responded to a call from Stephen Gower, 53, of Charlestown, who said his wife Christina Gower had shot and killed herself at their home on Charlestown New Market Road, according to a probable cause affidavit reviewed by PEOPLE. When officers arrived at the residence, they found Stephen, who allegedly said, 'take me to jail' and 'shoot me,' according to the affidavit. 'It would be easier to go to jail than to explain the incident to his children,' he allegedly told police. Officers located an AR-style rifle which Stephen said his wife used to take her life. Christina was found lying in the doorway to the master bedroom with a fatal wound to the head and blood pooling around her, according to the affidavit, but a detective on the scene did not observe 'visible burns or stippling' to Christina's head or face that would be consistent with a shot from close-range. During an interview with detectives, Stephen said that on the morning of Sunday, Aug. 3, he found messages on his wife's phone 'indicating that she was talking to other men and indicated that she was having an affair,' the affidavit alleges. He said he and his wife drank alcohol and fought all night, to the point where a chair and light fixture were broken. Stephen allegedly admitted to holding his wife's wrist while they were on the kitchen floor and damaging the bathroom door during their 'confrontation,' per the affidavit. Earlier in the evening, he said he retrieved a handgun from the master bedroom and held it to his head at one point, saying he wanted to die by suicide and then saying 'he hoped his wife would pull the trigger,' the affidavit alleges. He also 'mentioned handling an AR-15 rifle' during the evening, which he held to his head, it autopsy performed on Aug. 5, showed that the gunshot appeared to have been fired from 3 feet away or greater, the affidavit alleges, making it impossible for Christina to have shot herself. Stephen was arrested on Aug. 4 and charged with murder, according to online court records. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond. He is scheduled to return to court on Sept. 16. His attorney did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Essex council in High Court bid to stop asylum seekers being housed at hotel
An Essex council has applied for an interim High Court injunction in a bid to stop asylum seekers from being housed at a hotel. Documents relating to the Bell Hotel in Epping were lodged with the High Court in London on Tuesday, Epping Forest District Council said in a statement. A series of protests have been held outside the hotel in recent weeks, after an asylum seeker was charged with allegedly attempting to kiss a 14-year-old girl. Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, denies sexual assault and is due to stand trial this month. Council leader Chris Whitbread said the use of the hotel as asylum accommodation risks causing 'irreparable harm to the local community'. The council had unanimously voted last month to urge the Government 'to immediately and permanently close' the hotel 'for the purposes of asylum processing'. The Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Roger Hirst, had also reportedly called on the Home Secretary to review the use of the hotel for housing asylum seekers. Read more 'Tinderbox': Charity boss says migrant hotels must stop after Epping violence Two more men charged following violent disorder at Epping migrant hotel Political leaders in Essex urge Home Secretary to close Epping 'migrant hotel' In a statement, Mr Whitbread said: 'The current situation cannot go on. If the Bell Hotel was a nightclub, we could have closed it down long ago. 'So far as the council is aware, there is no criminal record checking of individuals who might only have been in the country a matter of days before being housed at the hotel. 'There are five schools and a residential care home within the vicinity of the hotel. The use by the Home Office of the premises for asylum seekers poses a clear risk of further escalating community tensions already at a high, and the risk of irreparable harm to the local community. 'This will only increase with the start of the new school year. We are frustrated that the Home Office continues not to listen.' He continued: 'In our view, placing asylum seekers in the Bell Hotel is a clear breach of planning permission. It is not in use as a hotel, and it doesn't function as a hotel. 'The establishment of a centre to accommodate asylum seekers in this particular location, in close proximity to five schools, a residential care home, and the shops and amenities of the market town of Epping, is not appropriate in planning terms.' Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch claimed women in the area have 'stopped jogging in the park because there are men lurking in bushes', because of concerns about the hotel. Following a visit to Epping on Monday, Mrs Badenoch told reporters: 'The people who I spoke to are having a lot of concerns about safety. Mothers told me that they're worried about their daughters going to school. They're getting harassed. They stopped jogging in the park because there are men lurking in bushes. 'Communities shouldn't have to be paying for this. And what I saw in Epping really, really upset me. I can see why many of those people are protesting.'
Washington Post
6 minutes ago
- Washington Post
4 arrests after home reportedly owned by Brad Pitt was ransacked by burglars, police say
LOS ANGELES — Four people have been arrested in connection with a burglary earlier this summer at a Los Angeles home reportedly owned by actor Brad Pitt , police said Tuesday. Officers responded June 25 to a break-in at the house in LA's Los Feliz neighborhood. Police said at the time that suspects broke in through the front window, ransacked the home and fled with miscellaneous property.
