In a quiet Greenwood, Indiana subdivision, the life of 55-year-old Cecelia Cooper Laverne Babcock was tragically cut short on April 13, 2020. She was a woman known for her kind soul and willingness to help others, a person who loved dogs, blues music, and her family and friends. For the last six years, she had been building a life with her fiancé, Andy Sutt, with plans to marry and spend their futures together.
That Monday morning, a distress call was made from their home on Legacy
Boulevard. When police arrived, they were met by 43-year-old Randy A. Sutt, who was armed. Sutt, who was the brother of Cecelia's fiancé and lived with the couple, exchanged gunfire with the officers before retreating back inside the house. A standoff ensued, and a negotiator was eventually able to convince Sutt to surrender.
Inside the home, officers found Cecelia upstairs with a gunshot wound to her head. She was rushed to the hospital and placed on life support, but succumbed to her injuries later that evening. The investigation revealed a chilling motive behind the senseless act. Sutt had reportedly become enraged after Cecelia and his brother refused to give him a Klonopin, a controlled substance, and had called him an addict. In his anger, he texted his brother his intention to shoot Cecelia, retrieved a handgun from a safe, and shot her in a second-floor bathroom. Sutt himself then called 911 to report the shooting.
Randy A. Sutt was arrested and initially charged with attempted murder and criminal recklessness. Following Cecelia’s death, the charges were upgraded to murder and attempted murder for firing at a police officer. During questioning, he admitted to shooting Cecelia with the intent to kill her. In November 2023, Sutt pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 62 years in prison for the murder of Cecelia Babcock and for criminal recklessness.
