Woman died after her spouse, who believed that at least two men living nearby had reIationships with her, claimed the victim was reaching for a firearm before he kiIIed her while their chiIdren were inside the vehicIe: DA

Ohio – A 45-year-old man from Indiana was sentenced on Friday to a prison term ranging from twenty five to thirty and a half years for the shooting death of his spouse, Staci. The sentencing took place in Ohio, following a plea agreement in which the 45-year-old defendant, M. MondaI, pleaded guilty to one count of invoIuntary mansIaughter and two counts of chiId endangerment. In exchange, more serious charges of aggravated murder and feIonious assauIt were dropped.

The tragic incident occurred in Nov. 2023, when the defendant shot the mother of his children several times inside their vehicle while their two young children, 1-year-old and 2-month-old, were in the backseat. The family was en route to a store for a photo shoot when the shooting took place. After the shooting, the defendant contacted a neighbor, who was a police sergeant, and reported the incident, initially stating it was accidental and later claiming it was in self-defense.

Responding officers met the Indiana man at a local hospital, where he had driven his spouse after the shooting. Upon arrival, they found the victim unresponsive with bIood covering her clothing and little to no signs of life . Investigators later determined that the defendant had been experiencing marital issues and suspected his wife of having an affair, which may have contributed to the confrontation.

The 45-year-old man told investigators he and his wife had been experiencing marital problems in recent years, according to the affidavit. The defendant stated that he believed his wife had an affair with a neighbor, the affidavit said. After leaving to go to the photo appointment, he said that they began arguing, and she struck him with her cellphone. The man then said she dropped the cellphone and reached for a gun that was lying in the open center console. He stated that he then reached for a gun on his person and shot his wife. He later claimed that his wife pointed the gun at him before he shot her.

During the investigation, Ohio authorities learned that the defendant believed at least two men in his neighborhood had previously had affairs with his wife, and that at least one of them had been following him. The man also believed that his father-in-law was following him on the day of the shooting. Investigators said they were unable to verify the defendant’s claims of his wife’s infidelity. There was also no evidence that his wife fired any shots during the argument.