Indianapolis Man Charged with Murder After Breaking Into Ex's Home, Killing Her New Boyfriend

Bertony Theagene, 50, allegedly broke into his ex-girlfriend's Indianapolis apartment at night and shot her and her new boyfriend, killing the man. He faces charges of murder, attempted murder, and burglary.

Indianapolis Man Accused of Killing Ex-Girlfriend's New Boyfriend in Overnight Home Invasion

A 50-year-old Indianapolis man is facing murder charges after allegedly breaking into his ex-girlfriend's apartment in the middle of the night and opening fire on her and the man she was with, according to Law & Crime.

Bertony Theagene was taken into custody and charged with murder, attempted murder, and burglary in connection with the Aug. 31 shooting death of 33-year-old Venel Emile. He is being held at the Marion County Jail without bond.

Officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department responded to a 911 call just before 1 a.m. at an apartment complex in the 3000 block of Bayside Drive. Upon arrival, first responders found both a man and a woman suffering from gunshot wounds. Both were transported to a local hospital, where Emile later died from a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The Marion County Coroner's Office ruled his death a homicide.

The woman, whose identity has not been released, survived the attack. She told police that she and Emile were in her bedroom when Theagene forced his way into the apartment. She said she rose to confront him, but Theagene shot her before she could intervene. Emile then moved toward Theagene, who fired again, striking Emile in the stomach. Theagene fled the apartment but later attempted to re-enter — by then, the woman had locked him out.

Police located Theagene shortly afterward, hiding beneath a staircase near the apartment. According to investigators, he attempted to shoot himself in the head, but the weapon malfunctioned and he surrendered.

In a subsequent interview with detectives, Theagene said he had gone to his ex-girlfriend's home to confront her "about having another man over." He stated he brought a gun for protection, telling officers he did not know whether the new boyfriend would be armed. "He brought the gun over with him because he didn't know if the new boyfriend would be armed so he wanted to be able to protect himself," police wrote in a probable cause affidavit.

When asked about the shootings, Theagene claimed his ex-girlfriend had attempted to grab the weapon and that it discharged accidentally during the struggle. He made a similar claim regarding Emile, saying the gun went off when the man rushed at him.

Theagene also acknowledged his suicide attempt after the shooting. "He knew he was going to spend the rest of his life in prison and wanted to take the easy way out," he told investigators, according to local Fox affiliate WXIN.

A separate witness corroborated the account of violence, telling police she was awoken by a family member shouting that Theagene was trying to kill her with a gun. The witness said she heard two gunshots before Theagene fled the scene.

Theagene's jury trial is scheduled for Dec. 15.

Source: Law & Crime