Tragic Murder Case in Indiana: A Story of Deception and Betrayal
It was in the early morning hours of January 12, 2020, when 31-year-old Shea Briar was found clinging to life on a rural road in Jay County, Indiana. Briar was unable to communicate, and first responders were initially unsure of what had happened to him, but when he arrived at the hospital, medical staff discovered a bullet wound in his back.
“There was no exit wound … It was actually in his heart,” Jay County Sheriff’s Detective Ben Schwartz told “48 Hours” correspondent Anne-Marie Green. “He … passed away.” An investigation was launched, and police soon received a call from a woman named Kristi Sibray, an acquaintance of Briar’s former fiancée, 29-year-old Esther Jane Stephen, also known as E.J.
Sibray, a former police officer, told detectives that in the months leading up to Briar’s murder, Stephen came over often and that she was accompanied by her assistant coach, 19-year-old Shelby Hiestand. During those visits, Sibray said Stephen would confide in her about problems she was having with Briar. Stephen and Briar had recently broken off their engagement, and Briar had filed a court petition to establish parenting time for the daughter they shared.
Investigation and Arrests
Sibray told investigators that Stephen would discuss ways to get rid of Briar, but that she didn’t think anything of it at the time. However, when Sibray learned of Briar’s murder, she said she immediately viewed all those conversations in a different light. A day after speaking to Sibray, detectives brought Stephen and Hiestand in for questioning.
After initially denying involvement in Briar’s murder, they both admitted they took him to that rural road and that Hiestand shot him in the back. Hiestand told detectives she blacked out then fired the gun at Briar. E.J. Stephen and Shelby Hiestand were arrested and charged with murder, but they would both later plead not guilty.
Conclusion
When Stephen went on trial, she placed all the blame on Hiestand. Stephen took the stand and insisted she had no reason to want Briar dead. The case raises questions about the events leading up to Briar’s murder and the involvement of those closest to him. For more information on this case, visit Here
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