Jennifer Trapuzzano leans on family, faith amid tragedy

As Jennifer Trapuzzano recounted the worst tragedy of her life — the day nearly two weeks ago when her husband, Nathan, was gunned down on a morning walk — her grief was interrupted by a reminder of the joy they both shared.

The child she is carrying began kicking.

"Oh my gosh," someone exclaimed, marveling at ripples of movement visible on Jennifer's rounded belly.

"In every ultrasound we've had, she's matured ahead of time," she said of Cecilia Marie. "She's growing well."

Jennifer, 25, spoke to The Indianapolis Star in an exclusive interview Saturday. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, protecting her child as Nathan once sheltered and protected her.

They were planning to celebrate their daughter's birth, their first wedding anniversary and Nate's 25th birthday next month.

But all that ended early on April 1, when Nathan was confronted by a gunman, while he was finishing a morning walk near the couple's Westside home.

Police found Nathan with a mortal gunshot wound to the abdomen at about 6 a.m. in a parking lot of Tron Tire Shop in the 3500 block of West 16th Street, about two blocks from his residence. Simeon Adams, 16, was arrested last week and charged with Trapuzzzano's murder.

"I know he's gone, but I don't want to think about the circumstances yet," Jennifer said. "I just want to remember my last night with him."

One last night

That Monday, March 31, was a special night, Jennifer recalled. Nathan, a computer programmer at Ivy Tech Community College, returned after work to the home they shared on Berwick Street to find Jennifer already in bed.

She is studying to be a physician's assistant at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

Eight months pregnant, Jennifer said she told Nathan that she was woozy and light-headed in class and a friend drove her home.

Nathan lay in bed beside her, rubbing her back. After a while, he left the bedroom to warm some leftovers for his dinner.

Jennifer soon joined him in the kitchen.

"I really wanted biscuits," she recalled. "Pregnancy craving."

Nathan began making biscuits, while Jennifer read him the recipe. Later, they walked to McDonald's where he bought her an Oreo McFlurry.

They returned home and spent the evening talking, before turning in early. This time together at night was something new for them. Nathan had that day started a new early-morning exercise schedule, instead of walking in the evenings, so he could spend more time with Jennifer.

Jennifer remembers saying that she couldn't imagine life without him.

"I love you so much," she told Nathan. "I don't know what I'd do without you because you take such good care of me."

"You're strong," he answered. "You'd be fine."

Each said "I love you" before going to sleep.

Jennifer recalled Nathan placing his hand on her belly and feeling Cecilia's kicks just before she dozed off, safe in her husband's arms.

"That's the last thing I remember," she said. "It was so special."

First date

They met at Ball State University in Muncie, through a Catholic student organization. Their faith was important to them both.

At first, she knew Nathan only as the "guy with the big curly dark hair."

However, Nathan already had impressed his professors.

He showed up in Walter Moskalew's second-year Greek class — without having taken the introductory course.

When Moskalew asked whether Nathan had taken classes in the language, Nathan said he hadn't — but had studied Greek on his own over the summer.

"I found out very quickly that not only had he done the work, but that he was clearly better than any of my other students and he was possibly the best Greek student I have ever had," Moskalew said of the young man from western Pennsylvania.

Throughout his college years, Nathan continued to take classes from Moskalew. And he never failed to impress the professor, to ask questions that challenged even the longtime scholar.

"He would grapple with something and he wouldn't quite let it go," Moskalew said. "There was this drive to want to solve an issue, rather than just take what the teacher says and say, 'OK, I'm going to write it down.' "

Nathan graduated summa cum laude and considered a career in the classics, applying to a number of top-notch graduate programs. But, coming from Ball State may have put him at a disadvantage, Moskalew said. Although he was a finalist for the highly competitive Jacob Javits fellowship, none of the graduate programs to which Nathan applied accepted him.

At that point, Nathan talked to his friends and professors about possibly joining the priesthood.

Then, he and Jennifer took a class together and started hanging out together more.

One Tuesday night in October of his senior year, Nathan called Jennifer and asked her to dinner. She wasn't sure whether it was a dinner date or just dinner. When he called back on Thursday and said he had made reservations, she knew. They went to a Greek restaurant in Anderson — Nate loved Greek food as much as the language — and talked and talked and talked.

"He wasn't much of a talker, but he talked that night to me," she said.

They shared stories of their families and found out that they both wanted to one day have a big family.

Within a few weeks, Nathan was introducing people to Jennifer as his girlfriend, even though he hadn't asked her yet.

A strong faith

As with everything else in his life, he sought God's assurance that this was the right path. Thoughts of joining the priesthood still flitted through his mind, however.

"Every night, he prayed that if our relationship wasn't God's will, let it be crushed," Jennifer said.

She, in turn, thanked God in her prayers for bringing Nathan into her life.

"I felt closer to God when I was with Nate," she said.

Faith was very important to her husband. He believed in the old Catholic traditions and attended the Latin Mass at Holy Rosary Church in Indianapolis.

"He was probably one of the most religious people that I knew. He was very, very strong in his faith," said Branden Stanley, 22, a Ball State senior.

Stanley met Nathan while still a freshman and the older student was his teaching assistant in Latin. "His faith was so central to who he was that everything else was kind of built around that," Stanley recalled.

After Nathan graduated from college, he spent a few months in Florida with his sister and then moved to Columbus, Ohio, to live with another sister because there was still a chance he might be offered a graduate school spot at Ohio State University.

Throughout this time, Nathan stayed in close contact with Jennifer.

He loved to surprise Jennifer with little things, like leaving roses on her car. One night, he sent a text message to Jennifer in Muncie saying, "Your windows are pretty high for me to climb into."

He was supposed to be in Ohio, she thought, but when she looked outside her window, he was standing by his car.

In keeping with his old-fashioned ways, Nathan asked Jennifer's parents, Karl and Ann Swihart, for their blessing before asking for her hand in marriage.

Karl did not hesitate. Ann's only concern was that she wanted Jennifer to finish school. Nathan agreed.

Karl and Ann said Saturday that they could not imagine having a better son-in-law.

His proposal

On June 23, 2012, Nate took Jennifer ice skating at the Pan Am Plaza in Downtown Indianapolis. They often prayed when they were together, and after skating, Nate asked whether she knew of a church nearby.

She led him to St. John's Catholic Church, located around the corner at 126 W. Georgia St. A wedding was concluding and Nathan sat in the pew, praying for a long time.

As they exited through the front door, he suddenly stopped and bent to one knee.

"I love you," he told her. "I want us to both be saints. I want us to get to heaven together, side by side. ... Will you marry me?

She said yes. They kissed and hugged.

"Smile for the camera," he told her.

Her sister Julie stood across the street, recording the moment.

The following December, Nathan moved from Ohio back to Indiana, as neither he nor his bride-to-be could stand to be apart any longer. Having already taught himself computer programming, he was soon proficient enough to land a job in the field.

But they needed a place of their own to call home.

Karl Swihart, Jennifer's father, owns rental properties in Central Indiana. When Nathan moved back to Indiana, he settled into Karl's rental on Berwick, a modest bungalow with hardwood floors and a basement just off of West 16th Street, near Riverside Park.

Last May, after the two married, Jennifer moved into the house with him. They planned to stay there for about five years, saving up to one day buy a place of their own.

Their final prayer

Jennifer woke at 7:11 a.m. on April 1, surprised and worried that Nate had not returned home yet from his walk. His phone was still on the table. She scratched a quick note urging him to call her and went out looking for him, tracing the steps of his usual route.

Soon, Jennifer came upon police cars and crime-scene tape. She feared that her husband was somehow involved.

Officers couldn't immediately tell her that the wounded man was her husband. They offered her a seat in a squad car, and she called her friend and classmate, Lauren Sterrett. Together, over the phone, they prayed.

Later, Jennifer was taken to Eskenazi Hospital and reunited with Nathan for one last time.

"It was God's providence," she said, "because he was still alive at the time and I was able to pray with him in his final moments."

Jennifer has leaned heavily on family and friends in recent days. Meals, homemade cookies and other sweets have been delivered every day to her doorstep.

Jennifer's classmates — Sterrett, Christie Andreone, Hailan Liu and Samantha Plant — spent Saturday morning painting Cecilia's new nursery two shades of pink — colors fit for a princess.

"I have been truly amazed at how Jen is handling all this," Plant said. "I am just starting my journey with Christ and her faith is so inspirational. I know that it's touching a lot of hearts."

A public outpouring

The public has contributed more than $160,000 to charity accounts set up for her and her child.

Baby clothes, car seats, diaper bags and other items have poured in, filling the garage of the Avon home of Jennifer's parents.

Every item on the couple's online baby registry has been purchased, mostly by strangers.

"We've been so thankful for all the donations that have been sent our way," Jennifer said. "The best thing anyone can do is just to pray and to return to church and to keep their faith."

Hundreds also have reached out to Jennifer on Facebook and in letters. Many say they've been inspired by Nathan's faith. Many say they've returned to the church because of the couple's story.

One mother in Texas told the family she was taking her 8-year-old daughter to church for the first time.

One writer returned to confession for the first time in five years; another, a college student, admitted turning away from the church but finding renewed faith in Nathan's story.

"Nate's still working so hard. He's still making a difference," Jennifer said. "He can just make more of a difference from where he is now."

Call Star reporter Vic Ryckaert at (317) 444-2701. Follow him on Twitter: @VicRyc.

How to help

Donations to the family can be made to the Nathan Trapuzzano Memorial Fund at any PNC Bank location.