In the quiet town of Merrillville, Indiana, a domestic dispute tragically escalated, claiming the life of 55-year-old Candy Marie Halbe, a White/Caucasian female. On December 26, 2017, what began as a family argument over the disciplining of a child spiraled into a violent confrontation that would leave two family members dead. The altercation occurred at their residence on West 61st Avenue.
The conflict involved Robert Stewart, the 35-year-old boyfriend of Candy Halbe's daughter. During the heated dispute concerning his 7-year-old son, Stewart reportedly opened fire. The gunshots fatally wounded both Candy and her 27-year-old son, Ryan Halbe. While several other people were present in the home at the time of the shooting, including Stewart's girlfriend, they were not physically harmed.
Following the shooting, Robert Stewart fled the scene but was later discovered hiding in a nearby shed and taken into custody by law enforcement. The Lake County Coroner's office officially ruled both Candy and Ryan Halbe's deaths as homicides. On December 28, 2017, the Lake County prosecutors filed two counts of murder against Robert Stewart in connection with the double fatality. The community was left to mourn the sudden and tragic loss of a mother and son, stemming from a family dispute that ended in irreversible violence.
