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Writer's pictureSteven Harmeyer

Prosecutor: Sister says she was asked by brother to shoot him

Updated: Dec 15

Happened in Brookville on Thursday morning

(BROOKVILLE, Ind.) – The Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office has announced formal murder charges against a woman accused of shooting her brother in Brookville.  


Police were called to the Riverfront Apartments on Fairfield Avenue to a report of shots fired early Thursday morning. 


32-year-old Ronald Pence was found with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene. 


The Indiana State Police arrested 29-year-old Crystal Pence, who is the victim’s sister, on a preliminary charge of murder. 


According to court records, Crystal told investigators and she and her brother had been to several bars earlier in the evening. 


“Throughout the evening, Ronald made number of statements about being sad, and having suicidal thoughts,” court documents show. 


Crystal allegedly told investigators that Ronald grabbed a gun from a safe, loaded it, handed it to her and asked her to shoot him. 


“Crystal stated that she then aimed the handgun and fired one shot in the direction of Ronald's chest, striking him," according to the probable cause affidavit.


Prosecutor Chris Huerkamp added that the handgun believed to be involved in the shooting was recovered by police, and Pence allegedly admitted that it was the one she used to shoot her brother. 


On Friday, a judge determined that probably cause existed for Pence to be charged with murder. 


She is being held at the Franklin County Security Center and Heurkamp expects an initial hearing to be held next week. 


Also, Huerkamp emphasized that the charge is merely an allegation, and that Pence is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. 

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