Lisa Shuler

Case information

Lisa Shuler was a New Albany woman who pleaded guilty to murdering Charles Pierce.

Background

Lisa M. Shuler lived at 3803 Wabash Ave in New Albany.

The offence

Charles Pierce, 49, was shot multiple times and died after being found about 9 p.m. lying on the living room floor of Shuler’s home. Pierce was shot multiple times with a .40-caliber handgun at close range. His pants and underwear were pulled down to his knees when emergency officials responded.

Police said Shuler used text messages and other means to lure Pierce to her home. Police called the encounter a “rape fantasy.” Police said the couple engaged in sexual activity and that Shuler shot Pierce over sexually compromising photos of her stored on his cell phone.

In court, Shuler apologized to Pierce’s family.

Investigation

Floyd County Sheriff Darrell Mills said Shuler used a semi-automatic handgun and that she was the only person in the home at the time of the shooting.

Investigators said Shuler deleted nearly 200 text messages from her phone and tried to erase messages on Pierce’s phone before putting it back in his pocket.

Court documents said Shuler had posted a Bible verse about salvation and a photo of a man praying on her Facebook page hours before the murder, and posted photos of a 40-caliber handgun and an image of a grim reaper figure armed with a gun in the days before the murder.

Investigators said evidence from the crime scene supported that the murder was planned and that the state believed Shuler intended to kill Pierce before he arrived at her home May 6.

It was reported that Shuler called 911 after the shooting and originally told authorities that Pierce was a home intruder. She later told investigators that after Pierce entered her home and the two engaged in “rape fantasy” role play, she began to perform a sex act and then fired a firearm from a holster on her belt until it was empty.

Arrest and charges

Lisa Shuler was arrested early Tuesday morning at her home on Wabash Avenue where the shooting took place. She was being held on preliminary charges of murder and returned to court on Thursday.

Floyd County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Steve Owen was granted a 72-hour continuance to issue charges. Owen requested that Shuler be held in the Floyd County Jail without bond, and Judge Maria Granger issued an order that remained in effect until a future proceeding.

Shuler asked for a court appointed public defender.

Trial

Shuler was sentenced after she pleaded guilty.

Sentencing

Floyd County Superior Court No. 3 Judge Maria Granger sentenced Lisa Shuler to 45 years in prison. The sentence was imposed on March 5, 2014 after Shuler pleaded guilty on January 29.

Judge Maria Granger permitted Shuler to address the court moments before sentencing. Shuler spoke into a microphone while dressed in a green and white-striped jumpsuit.

“I apologize to the family,” Shuler spoke.
“I know I can’t take away their hurt or pain.”

Shuler also said she was sorry that her actions caused her own family shame.

Floyd County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Steve Owen called the sentence “just.” Owen said:

“The facts showed an intentional act on Ms. Shuler's part, and a premeditated act through text messages. She had invited him to the house,” Owen said.

Owen read a statement during the hearing on behalf of Pierce’s mother, Mildred Pierce:

“I lost my youngest son,” Owen read to the court.
“The hole that has been left can not ever be filled.”

Pierce’s mother, Mildred Pierce, said she did not believe Shuler’s apology was sincere and that the 45-year sentence was not enough justice for the loss of her son. Mildred Pierce asked Owen to read her statement.

In a written statement read before the court, Mildred Pierce said:

“May 6, 2013, was the worst night of my life. The pain and hurt is great. It left a hole in my family I cannot get over. I cannot understand why she took his life.”

Outcome

Shuler was sentenced to 45 years in prison for fatally shooting Charles Pierce during sexual role play described as a “rape fantasy.”

Aftermath

Pierce’s family members filled the courtroom gallery for the sentencing hearing.

Pierce’s mother Mildred Pierce said she lived next door to her youngest son and expected him to open the back door and holler “Momma.” She said:

“He was always coming over, and I still expect that back door to open and holler 'Mom.' I don't know how long that's going to take,”
“Everytime I go out on the deck, there's his house.”
“She left a hole in it and I'd like to ask her why?”

Shuler’s grandmother, Iretta Michael, said both families had lost people they could never replace. Michael said:

“If it hadn't been for drugs, alcohol and perverse sex, neither one of them would be lost,”
“She was raised in a Christian family, and I don't know, she went down. She chose to go the other way, she's repentative, but she's going to pay 45 years. She's not a cold-blooded murderer,” Michael said.

A neighbor, Brandon Fowler, was quoted about a time frame for Pierce and Shuler’s relationship:

“I'm not sure on the time frame but I think a couple weeks is when he said they separated or whatever or broke up kind of thing,” neighbor, Brandon Fowler, said.

Floyd County Prosecutor Keith Henderson said:

“At times, making sense out of why someone does what they do, sometimes, we don't have those answers.”

The Floyd County Sheriff’s Office said Shuler met Pierce just weeks before his murder, and investigators were combing through evidence including adult dating sites and hundreds of images and messages. Prosecutor Keith Henderson said:

“I can't comment specifically on the evidence or what they have found. I do consider it relevant of what they've found to date and they're gonna continue on,” said Henderson.

Timeline

• May 6, 2013 — Shuler pleaded guilty in 2014 after murdering Charles Pierce in her New Albany home described as a “rape fantasy.”
• May 7, 2013 — Shuler was arrested and preliminarily charged with murder after a man was shot in her home at 3803 Wabash Ave.
• May 8, 2013 — Prosecutor Keith Henderson said Shuler invited Pierce to play out a rape fantasy in the living room of Shuler’s New Albany home.
• May 9, 2013 — Shuler was arraigned after being accused of murdering a man to cover up an affair.
• January 29 — Shuler pleaded guilty to murdering Charles Pierce.
• March 5, 2014 — Judge Maria Granger sentenced Lisa Shuler to 45 years in prison.
• March 6, 2014 — Reporting described the sentence and the guilty plea.

Other details

Shuler was 32 at the time of sentencing and was described as being from Wabash Avenue. Shuler had been trained by the Jennings County 9-1-1 Center as an emergency medicine technician and had EMT training. Prosecutors said Shuler shot Pierce while performing a sex act on him and that her alleged motive was to prevent Pierce from showing pornographic photos of the two to her husband.

It was not believed Shuler and Pierce had a long-term relationship. Floyd County Sheriff Darrell Mills said the press conference scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department was canceled to obtain more information before speaking openly, and that the meeting was tentatively rescheduled for Wednesday.