85-year-old Idaho woman justified in fatally shooting intruder, prosecutor says
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — An 85-year-old Idaho woman is being called a hero after local prosecutors say she justifiably gunned down a man who broke into her home, handcuffed her to a chair, and told her repeatedly that he was going to kill her.
Using a pistol she kept under her pillow, Christine Jenneiahn turned the tables on the 39-year-old intruder and killed him in a gunfight in which she herself was shot several times. In the bloody aftermath, the octogenarian spent 10 hours on the floor, still handcuffed, until her disabled son could bring her a phone to call 911.
$10K reward offered for information on bald eagle shot in Cedar City
“This case presents an easy analysis of self-defense and justifiable homicide,” Bingham County Prosecuting Attorney Ryan Jolley said in a statement. He added: “It also presents one of the most heroic acts of self-preservation I have heard of.”
Jolley released a review of the case on Wednesday based on Jenneiahn’s statements, video footage, photographs and search warrant evidence. The prosecuting attorney noted that “any reasonable person would believe it necessary to defend themselves or their disabled child under such circumstances.”
The home invasion happened in the early morning hours of March 13 in Jenneiahn’s residence north of Blackfoot, Idaho. Officials identified the intruder as Derek Condon, of Blackfoot. EastIdahoNews reports the two were known to each other, and officials said the attack was not believed to be random.
According to investigators, Jenneiahn was sleeping when she was woken up around 2 a.m. by a man dressed in a military jacket and black ski mask pointing a flashlight and a gun in her face.
Condon struck Jenneiahn in the head, investigators believe, as blood was found on her pillow. He then ordered her out of bed and handcuffed her to a wooden chair in the living room, where he demanded to know if any valuables were in the house.
Condon left Jenneiahn to search the basement for safes, and there he discovered that Jenneiahn’s son was in the home. Condon became enraged that Jenneiahn didn’t make him aware of this, prosecutors said, adding that he told her repeatedly that he was going to kill her.
When Condon was in the basement, Jenneiahn dragged the chair to her bedroom, where she kept a .357 Magnum revolver under her pillow. She returned to the living room and hid the pistol between the couch cushions. She waited to see what Condon would do next.
Jenneiahn reported to investigators that Condon told her several times he was going to kill her as he rummaged through the house. At one point, she decided that it was “now or never,” drew her gun from the couch and shot Condon, the prosecutor wrote.
“Condon was still in the act of this violent home invasion when Christine chose to engage him with deadly force,” Jolley said, noting that Idaho law makes it clear that no person should be placed in legal jeopardy when protecting themselves.
Jenneiahn shot at Condon twice, hitting him with both shots. Condon returned fire, emptying a 9mm pistol and striking Jenneiahn in the abdomen, leg, arm, and chest. Condon died in the kitchen while Jenneiahn waited for hours for her son to bring her a phone. Emergency crews responded and provided life-saving help.
“That Christine survived this encounter is truly incredible,” Jolley wrote. “Her grit, determination, and will to live appeared to be what saved her that night.”
The prosecutor added that if Condon would have survived, he would have charged him with attempted murder, kidnapping, burglary, and aggravated battery, among other felonies.
The Bingham County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post that it was not the department’s intention to defame Condon or make the tragedy for his family worse with the information made public on Wednesday.
Will solar panels on canals help the West save water? Project in Weber Co. aims to find out
“We are simply releasing the facts of the case, and explaining that there was a victim involved that displayed heroism, fortitude, and a will to live that we’d be remiss not to share,” the department said.
According to EastIdahoNews, Jenneiahn has been released from Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center and is still recovering.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.
