In the spring of 2021, the life of 43-year-old Monica J. Mills was tragically cut short in Hammond, Indiana. On the evening of April 11th, she was discovered inside a blue 2000 Ford Focus parked in the lot of Bishop Noll Institute. Responding paramedics found her unconscious and without a pulse, suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite being rushed to St.
Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, Monica was pronounced dead.
The investigation into her death quickly centered on her 38-year-old on-again, off-again boyfriend, Mark Jeaquan Halliburton. Initially, Halliburton told investigators that two men had approached their vehicle and shot Monica through the passenger window. However, his account of the events changed multiple times under questioning. Security footage from the area contradicted his initial statement, showing a flash of light from within the car, followed by Halliburton running between the vehicle and a nearby apartment several times before police arrived.
As the investigation progressed, Halliburton eventually admitted that the gun had discharged while he was adjusting his jogging pants inside the car. It was revealed that Halliburton, a convicted felon, was legally prohibited from owning a firearm and had coerced Monica into purchasing one for him. He was subsequently arrested and charged with murder and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. Ultimately, Mark Jeaquan Halliburton admitted to fatally shooting Monica Mills in a plea agreement.
