In the quiet, rural outskirts of Augusta, Kansas, the morning of August 27, 2022, was shattered by a violent act that ended the life of 51-year-old Christina Ann Rhodig Bingham, a White/Caucasian female. Known to her loved ones as "Chrissy," she had a history of caring for others, having previously worked as a nurse in a Sedan, Kansas, nursing home.
On that fateful Saturday, the Butler County Sheriff's Office received a distressing 911 call shortly before 7 a.m. The caller, a third party, relayed a chilling message from a family member who claimed to have shot someone inside a residence in the 7900 block of SW 163rd Street. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found the home barricaded and were unable to make contact with anyone inside.
Given the dangerous nature of the situation, the Butler County Tactical Team was dispatched to the residence. After numerous failed attempts to communicate with the individual inside, the tactical team made entry into the home. Inside, they discovered Christina Bingham, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound. Also present in the home was Robert Martindale II, a 56-year-old man who resided at the same address.
Martindale was taken into custody without further incident and was subsequently booked into the Butler County Jail. He was later charged with first-degree murder in connection with Christina Bingham's death. Authorities reported that a disturbance had occurred between Bingham and Martindale, who were the only two people in the house at the time, which resulted in the fatal shooting. The investigation into the specific circumstances that led to the tragic event is ongoing.
