In the early morning hours of December 12, 2024, the life of 32-year-old Ronald Wayne Pence, a White male, was cut short in a tragic and unusual shooting incident in Brookville, Indiana. Police were dispatched to the Riverfront Apartments on Fairfield Avenue around 1:40 a.m. following a report of a shooting. Upon their arrival, they discovered Ronald inside an apartment with a single gunshot wound to his chest.
Despite immediate medical aid from officers and EMS, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The initial investigation quickly identified the alleged shooter as Ronald's own sister, 29-year-old Crystal L. Pence. Crystal was present at the scene when law enforcement arrived and was taken into custody. According to court documents, the siblings had spent the evening together, visiting several local bars. During this time, Ronald had reportedly expressed feelings of sadness and suicidal thoughts to his sister.
The narrative that unfolded from Crystal's account to investigators was a somber one. She alleged that upon returning to her apartment, it was Ronald who retrieved a firearm, loaded it, and then handed it to her, asking her to shoot him. Crystal admitted to investigators that she complied with her brother's request, firing the single fatal shot.
Following the incident, Crystal L. Pence was arrested on a preliminary charge of felony murder and is being held without bond at the Franklin County Security Center. The Indiana State Police are leading the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ronald's death. Formal charges against Crystal are pending further legal proceedings.
