A southern Indiana man faces murder charges after making statements that they say cast doubt on his story that she shot herself.
Stephen Gower, 53, asked responding officers to "take me to jail" and to "shoot me." He further told officers that "he believed it would be easier to go to jail than to explain the incident to his children and his wife's family," WDRB reported.
Gower entered a plea of not guilty to murder charges this week.
The station reported the shooting happened after a day of drinking and escalating tension between Gower and his wife, Christina, on Aug. 3. Court documents state that Gower "found messages on Christina's phone indicating that she was talking to other men and indicated she was having an affair," WDRB reported.
That led to a "series of escalating events, including verbal arguments and physical actions, such as breaking a chair and a light fixture in the spare bedroom."
WAVE reported that an autopsy indicated that Christina was shot from a distance of at least three feet, meaning she could not have shot herself. Also, she had bruises on her wrists.
The station reported that Gower is being held without bail, and his next court date is scheduled for Sept. 16.
