NEED TO KNOW
- Melisa Hansboro was found fatally shot in her Indianapolis home in June 2023
- Her daughter grew concerned about her well-being when she arrived at the residence and found it locked as her cell-phone rang inside the house, unanswered
- Hansboro was in the middle of a breakup with her killer at the time of the murder
An Indiana man has been convicted for the 2023 murder of his former girlfriend, who was found fatally shot in her home.
The body of 54-year-old Melisa Hansboro was found on the floor in her Indianapolis residence on June 1, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement this week.
Her ex-boyfriend Jerry Lewis was convicted of her murder on Thursday, Oct. 23, the statement said.
Hansboro was moving into her new home hours before her 6-year-old grandson found her body, the Indianapolis Star reported.
On the day of her murder, her daughter and grandchildren arrived at her residence and grew concerned at the circumstances, per the prosecutor’s office statement.
She found her mother’s home locked and car missing. When the daughter tried to call Hansboro, she heard her cellphone ringing inside the house, but it went unanswered.
She, along with her children, entered the residence, where Hansboro’s body was found with a gunshot wound to the back of her neck, the prosecutor’s office said in their statement. Gunshot residue at the scene indicated to investigators that the victim had been shot in close range,
Hansboro and Lewis were in the middle of a break-up when she was killed, per an affidavit, IndyStar reported. Lewis was in her home when the two got into an argument right before her murder.
After killing Hansboro, Lewis went to his friend’s place and asked him to take him to the police station, claiming that he had “messed up his life,” according to prosecutors.
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Lewis was convicted of murder after a jury deliberated for just 31-minutes, following a three-day trial, according to the statement from the prosecutor’s office.
“The jury’s swift verdict is a reflection of strong investigative work and a trial team determined to get this family the justice they deserve,” Prosecutor Ryan Mears said in the statement.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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