NEED TO KNOW
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Stephen Gower, 53, of Indiana, called 911 on Aug. 4 claiming his wife, Christina Gower, died by suicide
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He allegedly told police he found out she had been talking to other men
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Gower allegedly begged police to “take me to jail” and “shoot me” when they arrived at his house after he called 911
An 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 alleges.
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An 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 thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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