Indiana Female Killed After Showing Up at Incorrect Residence for Cleaning Duties

Authorities in Indiana are considering possible criminal charges against a homeowner who reportedly fatally shot a female when she mistakenly went to the incorrect location where she believed scheduled to clean a property.

Officers found the victim, aged 32, deceased just before 7am at the entrance of a home in Whitestown, a community of approximately 10,000 residents near Indianapolis.

She was part of a cleaning crew that had arrived at the wrong address, police stated in a press statement.

Authorities have not publicly identified the person who fired, but police submitted the results from the investigation to the Boone County prosecutor, the county prosecutor, on Friday.

This case will highlight Indiana’s “castle doctrine” laws, which permit residents to use deadly force to prevent what they reasonably believe is an illegal entry into their dwelling.

But the shooting has shocked many. The victim’s spouse, her husband, told WRTV that he was standing with her at the front door but didn’t realize she had been shot until she collapsed into his arms, bleeding. On a online donation site, her brother mentioned that she was a parent to four children.

A majority of US states have comparable statutes like Indiana’s in place, as reported by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In similar cases in other states, authorities have filed criminal charges against people who used a firearm outside their homes, including a admission of guilt by an 86-year-old man who fired at Ralph Yarl when the teen came to his door by mistake. In another state, a man was convicted of homicide for killing a female inside a car who drove down his driveway in error.