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49-year-old who claimed girlfriend shot herself now charged with her murder

A crime scene is shown in Indianapolis in an undated photo. (WISH Photo, File)

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A 49-year-old Indianapolis man is jailed without bond after he was arrested Wednesday in connection with the shooting death of his girlfriend at a west-side apartment, according to court records and police.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department was called to a report of a person shot just after 10:25 p.m. Oct. 28, 2020, to an apartment in the 2200 block of Grand Prix Drive. That’s at Darby Court Apartments.

Emergency medical crews declared Tara Smith, 33, dead at the scene.

Her boyfriend, John Henry, told police that Smith had committed suicide, but detectives suspected foul play, IMPD said in a news release issued Wednesday.

Smith’s death was ruled a homicide on March 17 by the Marion County Coroner’s Office, and a homicide detective worked with prosecutors to secure an arrest warrant on Tuesday for Henry. The news release provided no explanation on why happened in the months between the coroner’s office determination and the arrest of Henry.

Henry’s initial court hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. Monday in Marion Superior Court 29, according to online court records.

IMPD did not immediately response to an email request from News 8 for Henry’s jail-booking photo.

Anyone with information on the case was asked to call Detective Steven Gray at the IMPD homicide office at 317-327-3475 or e-mail him at Steven.Gray@indy.gov.

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