In a tragic turn of events that shattered a family, Lisa Nettie Annette Peterson, a 32-year-old mother of three from Muncie, Indiana, was killed on June 3, 2011. Her death was not the result of an accident, but a violent act that occurred amidst a bitter marital dispute. Having separated from her husband and filed for divorce the previous year, the situation escalated to a fatal conclusion.
The man responsible for her death was her estranged husband, Benjamin Hankins.
At the time, Hankins was a former reserve police officer in Gaston, Indiana, and also worked as a correctional officer. The shooting transpired after a period of escalating tensions, which included threatening text messages sent from Hankins to his wife's phone. On the day of the murder, one of their children tragically overheard their mother's screams and pleas for her life just before the fatal shots were fired.
Lisa Peterson was shot three times. A pathologist testified during the subsequent trial that she sustained wounds to her leg, and another bullet passed through her arm and entered her chest. A third bullet struck her lower torso. The defensive wound on her arm suggested she had tried to protect herself. The pathologist also indicated that the wound to her leg may have been inflicted after she had already fallen to the floor, possibly as she held her legs up in a desperate attempt to shield herself. The cause of death was determined to be blood loss from her injuries. It was noted that her life might have been saved with a quicker medical response; however, authorities alleged that Hankins waited 17 minutes after the shooting before calling 911.
Benjamin Hankins was arrested and stood trial for the murder of his estranged wife. He initially claimed that the shooting was an act of self-defense. However, the evidence presented during the trial painted a picture of a violent man who resorted to murder when he couldn't control the circumstances of his failing marriage. The prosecution's case was bolstered by the testimony regarding the threatening text messages and the pathologist's findings. The trial proceeded, with Hankins facing the consequences of his actions in a court of law.
