Documents: Woman admitted shooting ex-husband during fight
Update, July 12:
Brittni Martin, a woman charged with murder in the fatal shooting of her ex-husband, 40-year-old Jack Martin, was found not guilty by a jury July 12, according to online court records.
Earlier, Oct. 21, 2016:
Brittni Martin called police.
"Um, someone was shot," she said.
The dispatcher asked for her name, then the victim's, according to a probable cause affidavit. She told them his name: Jack Martin. Then the dispatcher asked where the person was who shot him.
"Right here on the phone, ma'am," she said. "It's me."
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were called about 12:30 a.m. Oct. 15 to a home in the 7200 block of East 13th Street, where they found 40-year-old Jack Martin, Brittni's ex-husband, lying on a bed with a gunshot wound to his right temple, court documents said.
Brittni Martin, 32, told investigators at the scene that she had gone to the house to get clothes when the pair began arguing, according to the documents. That's when he pointed the gun at her head, she told investigators. She was able to get it away from him, but he wrapped her up in his arms, she said. She then freed one of her arms and fired.
"He tried to shoot me, ma'am," Brittni said when she called dispatchers. "It was gonna be him or me."
But investigators said there was no sign of a struggle inside the home, the documents said. Jack was found on the bed, draped in a blanket, with his hands folded over his abdomen. The blanket had multiple bullet holes and "significant" gunpowder burns, the affidavit said.
Neither Jack nor Brittni had visible marks that would have indicated a struggle, according to court documents. There was no blood visible on any clothing or shoes, detectives said, although Brittni Martin told officers that the couple were in a "bear hug" when the shooting took place.
Brittni's mother, Rhonda Turner, told police that she had been called before Brittni called police. The couple had always been physically abusive toward each other. They divorced seven years ago, but Jack had moved back in with Brittni a month ago.
The couple's 7-year-old daughter slept through the incident, Turner said.
The Marion County coroner's office ruled Jack Martin's death a homicide, according to documents.
Brittni Martin has been charged with murder. A pretrial conference has been set for January.
Call IndyStar reporter Holly Hays at (317) 444-6156. Follow her on Twitter: @hollyvhays.