Indianapolis woman pleads guilty to reckless homicide in 2021 stabbing of boyfriend
An Indianapolis woman charged in the 2021 stabbing death of her boyfriend has pleaded guilty to two charges in his death.
As part of a deal with prosecutors, a murder charge filed against Billie Jo Mitchell was dismissed.
She pleaded guilty Friday to reckless homicide and invasion of privacy and will serve five years in the Indiana Department of Correction, followed by a year of probation, according to court documents.
Mitchell was first arrested after police found 61-year-old Charles Moore stabbed to death in his apartment in the 3900 block of North Shadeland Avenue on the city's northeast side Feb. 26, 2021.
A probable cause affidavit filed in the fatal stabbing indicates the attack occurred after Moore refused to give more alcohol to Mitchell.
Witnesses told police the couple argued before the incident and reported Mitchell “was carrying and playing with three knives" shortly before the stabbing, the affidavit says.
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One of Moore's family members who was at the apartment before the stabbing told investigators she went to a nearby gas station about 4 p.m. after a walk to try to calm Mitchell down after the argument. When she returned, the family member said, she “heard a female screaming” and saw Mitchell “yelling and covered in blood.”
Minutes after the stabbing, Mitchell reportedly opened a neighbor's door, threw a bag under a chair near the neighbor's front door and said she had "just stabbed Charlie Mo" before running off, according to the affidavit. The bag contained bloody clothing — later determined to be Moore's shirts — and a silver-handled kitchen knife.
In an interview with police, Mitchell said she and Moore had been "very drunk that day." She initially told investigators she thought Moore's ex-girlfriend had stabbed him before claiming she stabbed Moore after a physical altercation. Moore "hates her and beats on her" when he's drunk, she said.
Mitchell then changed her story again, the affidavit says, telling police Moore "was standing up, getting ready to attack her again so she stabbed him." No visible injuries were detected on Mitchell, according to police.
It was the latest in a string of apparent domestic attacks between the couple, who had dated off and on for about five years.
Public police records show Indianapolis Metropolitan Police officers responded to the Shadeland apartment complex about half a dozen times since 2016 regarding incidents involving Mitchell. At least three incidents list Moore as a victim and Mitchell as a suspect in domestic violence-related situations, the records show.
On June 26, 2018, for example, Mitchell was arrested on public intoxication and battery charges after Moore reported his car was vandalized and he was assaulted by the woman.
Mitchell was arrested again on May 8, 2019, after police responded to a man reportedly set on fire by his girlfriend.
Moore told police at the time he was sleeping in bed after an argument with Mitchell in which she accused him of cheating when he woke up to Mitchell's daughter covering his legs with a blanket. The daughter told him her mom had set him on fire, an affidavit says.
Moore suffered second-degree burns to both legs, and investigators found an open bottle of lighter fluid on a table in the living room and melted pieces of Moore's pants on the floor.
Mitchell pleaded guilty to domestic battery resulting in serious bodily injury in the incident. She was sentenced to spend two years in community corrections with another two years of probation.
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.
Former IndyStar reporters Elizabeth DePompei and Lawrence Andrea contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indy woman pleads guilty to reckless homicide in fatal stabbing
