Suspect uttered 4 words before shooting Indiana judge and wife: dispatch audio
The shooter who wounded a judge and his wife in a shooting in Indiana, spoke to the victims before opening fire, according to dispatch audio. (Credit: Image: Ron Wilkins/Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images; Audio: Broadcastify)
The Indiana judge who was shot at his home by an unknown gunman previously made headlines in the high-profile case of Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian refugee accused of masquerading as a child.
The shooter, who remains at large, allegedly knocked on the entrance of the home of Judge Steven Meyer and his wife, Kimberly Meyer, around 2:15 p.m. Sunday before firing a gunshot through the front door, according to dispatch audio obtained by Fox News Digital.
Steven Meyer was shot in the arm and Kimberly Meyer was shot in the hip, according to authorities. The married couple subsequently received medical treatment and were listed in stable condition following the shooting.
Judge Meyer previously made national headlines in 2022 while presiding over the trials of then-married couple Michael and Kristine Barnett, the adoptive parents of Grace.
SUSPECTED GUNMAN UTTERED 4 WORDS BEFORE SHOOTING INDIANA JUDGE AND WIFE: DISPATCH AUDIO
An Indiana judge and his wife were wounded in a Lafayette shooting Sunday afternoon as local, state and federal authorities investigate. (Tippecanoe Superior Court)
Grace, a Ukrainian orphan with dwarfism whose adopted parents claim she pretended to be a child and terrorized their family, was adopted by the Indiana couple in April 2010. At the time, the Barnetts believed she was a 6-year-old.
However, after six months of alleged strange behavior, the Barnetts claimed their daughter was actually an adult woman scamming their family.
The couple pointed to Grace’s disability, a form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, giving her a small frame that left her true age unknown without medical testing. Additionally, due to flooding at the Ukrainian hospital where Grace was born, her birth certificate was lost – making it impossible to verify her age.
According to Investigation Discovery’s documentary, "The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks," the Barnetts called Grace a "con artist" and "sociopath," accusing her of hoarding knives, placing thumbtacks on the ground facing upward and attempting to poison her adoptive mother using Pine-Sol.
A screenshot of Natalia Grace on the "Dr. Phil Show." (Dr. Phil)
"She threatened to stab my sons, drag their bodies outside and bury them underneath the deck," Michael said in the documentary.
"I promise you within five years someone is dead," he added.
However, Grace claimed the couple abused her while she was living under their roof, revealing in the documentary that she was allegedly pepper-sprayed three times and given a triple-dose of her prescribed heart medication.
Natalia Grace is pictured smiling as Kristine Barnett looks away at a computer. The Ukrainian orphan with dwarfism spoke out against her adoptive parents' claims that she masqueraded as an adult. (Investigation Discovery)
"In every lie is a hidden truth, but you’ve gotta dig enough to be able to see it," Grace said in the series. "They’re not going to get away with this. This is my side of the story."
The Barnetts successfully petitioned a Marion County court to change Grace's birth year from 2003 to 1989, effectively making her legally 22 years old.
Michael and Kristine Barnett, featured in their mugshots, were charged with multiple counts of neglect of a dependent in 2019. But a jury found Michael not guilty in 2022, and charges against Kristine were later dropped. (Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office)
According to the documentary, the couple moved Grace into an apartment in Lafayette, Indiana, and fled to Canada with their three biological sons. Shortly after moving in, a neighbor noticed Grace struggled with feeding herself and maintaining basic household chores.
In September 2019, the Barnetts were charged with multiple counts of neglecting a dependent, due to Grace's disability.
During Michael Barnett’s trial, Judge Meyer ordered that Grace could only be referred to as an adult, pointing to the court’s previous ruling regarding her birth year, according to The Exponent. Judge Meyer also reportedly issued a gag order on all parties after the couple went on "Good Morning America" in 2019.
Michael Barnett was found not guilty by a jury in 2022, while Kristine Barnett’s charges were dismissed by Judge Meyer in 2023.
QUESTIONS FACE FAMILY THAT CLAIMED THEY ADOPTED ADULT 'MASQUERADING' AS 6-YEAR-OLD: LAWYER
Two people were shot about 2:15 p.m. Sunday in the 1700 block of Mill Pond Lane in Lafayette. The house is the home of Tippecanoe Superior 2 Judge Steve Meyer and his wife, Kim, according to neighbors. Police said the two wounded in the shooting are stable. (Ron Wilkins/Journal & Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Grace has not been named as a suspect in the Meyers’ shooting, and has not been charged with a crime.
The Lafayette Police Department and both Michael and Kristine Barnett did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment regarding the case. Fox News Digital was unable to locate Grace for comment.
No arrests have been made and officials have not released a description of a suspect. It was unclear how many shots were fired, though police reportedly recovered shell casings at the scene.
In a written statement, Kimberly Meyer spoke out following the shooting, thanking investigators and first responders for their handling of the incident.
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"I have great confidence in the Lafayette Police Department’s investigation and want to thank all the agencies involved for their work," she said, in part. "We are also incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from the community; everyone has been so kind and compassionate."
Authorities urged anyone with information to contact the Lafayette Police Department at 765-807-1200.
Christina Coulter contributed to this report.
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