On a crisp autumn evening in Coal City, Indiana, the festive atmosphere of a Halloween party took a tragic turn, ending the life of 53-year-old Bradley Jones. It was October 15, 2016, at Jones's own home on Lampher Farm Road, where a heated argument shattered the night and resulted in a fatal gunshot wound.
The man, Bradley Jones, was a white male. The evening's discord reportedly began as a verbal dispute between Jones and his girlfriend concerning their dogs. The disagreement continued to simmer and escalate throughout the party. Among the guests was 52-year-old Tammy Stuard of Indianapolis. As the argument intensified, Stuard became involved.
At some point during the escalating tensions, Stuard retrieved a. 38 Special revolver from her purse and shot Jones. Following the shooting, she was arrested and subsequently charged with his murder. In her statement to the police, Stuard claimed that she acted in self-defense, stating that she believed Jones was about to cause harm to others at the party.
However, investigators noted inconsistencies in her account. Stuard reportedly admitted that she had not witnessed Jones being abusive or making threats toward her friend prior to the altercation. She also indicated that she did not believe her friend was in immediate danger during the argument that preceded the shooting. Based on the investigation, Tammy Stuard was formally indicted on the charge of murder. Her jury trial was scheduled to take place in March of 2017. There is no publicly available information on the outcome of the trial.
