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Woman sentenced to 45 years after pleading guilty to "rape fantasy" murder

By Chris Turner - Wdrb.com

March 06, 2014

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- A Floyd County judge sentenced a New Albany woman to 45 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to murdering a man after a sexual encounter.

Judge Maria Granger sentenced Lisa Shuler to the term recommended as part of her guilty plea on January 29.

Shuler is now convicted of murdering Charles Pierce, 49, in her New Albany home last May after what police called a "rape fantasy."

Police said she used text messages and other means to lure Pierce to her home and that the couple engaged in sexual activity.

Shuler shot Pierce over sexually compromising photos of her stored in his cell phone, according to police.

In court Wednesday, Shuler apologized to Pierce's family.

"I know I can't take away any of the hurt. I regret that day and wish there were things I could change," she said.

Pierce's mother, Mildred Pierce, said she did not believe Shuler's apology to be sincere.

"She planned it, but maybe she won't plan another one," Mildred Pierce said.

She said she lived next door to her youngest son, who checked on her twice daily.

"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," she said. "Everytime I go out on the deck, there's his house."

Relatives of Charles Pierce and Shuler filled the courtroom gallery for the 11-minute sentencing.

Shuler's grandmother said both families have lost people they can never replace.

"If it hadn't been for drugs, alcohol and perverse sex, neither one of them would be lost," Iretta Michael said.

"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.

Floyd Co. Chief Deputy Prosecutor Steve Owen called the sentence "just."

"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.

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."

New Albany woman sentenced in sex role play murder

Lisa M. Shuler given 45 years in murder of Charles Pierce

By Gary Popp - NewsandTribune.com

March 5, 2014

NEW ALBANY — A New Albany woman apologized in a Floyd County courtroom Wednesday moments before she was sentenced to 45 years in prison for fatally shooting a man last year during sexual role play.

Lisa M. Shuler, 32, Wabash Avenue, was permitted by presiding Floyd County Superior Court No. 3 Judge Maria Granger to address the court, which was crowded with loved ones of Shuler and the man she is convicted of killing — Charles Pierce, 49, Louisville.

“I apologize to the family,” Shuler spoke into a microphone while dressed in a green and white-striped jumpsuit. “I know I can’t take away their hurt or pain.”

During her brief statement, Shuler also said that she was sorry that her actions had caused her own family shame.

Pierce’s mother Mildred Pierce attended the sentencing hearing, and said afterward that she felt Shuler’s apology was not sincere and that the 45-year sentence was not enough justice for the loss of her son.

Mildred Pierce asked Floyd County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Steven Owen to read a statement on her behalf during the hearing.

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

Through tears, Mildred Pierce said her son visited her daily, and she still expects him to open the back door of her home yelling, “Momma.”

Charles Pierce’s family members are not the only ones who expressed their loss immediately after the hearing.

Shuler’s grandmother, Iretta Michael, said her family has experienced a loss that can never be replaced, adding the murder should not have taken place.

“If it hadn’t been for drugs, alcohol and perverse sex, neither one of them would be lost,” Michael said.

She said her granddaughter was raised in a supportive home, but had somehow lost her way.

“[Shuler] was raised in a Christian family, but, I don’t know, she chose to go the other way, but she is repentant of it,” Michael said. “She is going to pay 45 years, and we have lost her.”

Owen admitted that the murder and the subsequent court proceedings were difficult for both the Shuler and Pierce families.

“The facts in this case were very overwhelming,” Owen said. “The facts in this case showed an intentional act on Ms. Shuler’s part and a premeditated act.”

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

It has been reported that Shuler called 911 after the shooting and originally told authorities that Pierce was a home intruder.

She later told investigators, however, that after Pierce entered her home and the two engaged in “rape fantasy” role play.

According to the affidavit, once Pierce was in the home, Shuler began to perform a sex act on him, and when she had completed the act, she pulled a firearm from a holster on her belt and fired the gun until it was empty.

Pierce was found about 9 p.m. lying on the home’s living room floor and 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.

Pierce was taken to Floyd Memorial Hospital for treatment, but died a short time later.

Shuler has told investigators that Pierce had photographs of her from a previous sexual encounter that she did not want her husband to see, which Owen said Wednesday was a motive for her to carry out the murder.

It is not believed Shuler and Pierce had a long-term relationship.

Accused rape fantasy murder suspect arraigned

By Adam Walsher - WHAS11.com

May 9, 2013

NEW ALBANY, Ind. -- A Floyd County woman accused of murdering a man to cover up an affair is arraigned today.

New details continue to emerge about the suspect and the relationship that authorities say ended in murder.

Lisa Shuler had never been in trouble before her arrest earlier this week.

We've learned she worked as an employee of a health care company, had EMT training and was involved in a kinky relationship she tried to hide from her husband, which authorities say ultimately led her to shoot her sex partner to death.

32-year-old Lisa Shuler was tight-lipped as she walked into court today.

She was officially charged with murdering Charles Pierce in a New Albany rental home Monday night.

Originally, Shuler, who was trained by the Jennings County 9-1-1 Center as and emergency medicine technician, called Floyd County 9-1-1 to report she shot a stranger who broke into her home.

Later, she admitted she arranged for Pierce to come to her house to act out a rape fantasy.

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

Court documents say Shuler shot Pierce while performing a sex act on him.

Her alleged motive was to prevent him from showing pornographic photos of the two to her husband.

Police say Shuler erased nearly 200 text messages between the two before officers arrived at the home.

She also posted a Bible verse about salvation and a photo of a man praying on her Facebook page hours before the murder.

In the days before that, she posted photos of a 40-caliber handgun, the same caliber used in the murder, and an image of a grim reaper figure armed with a gun.

Police say Shuler met Pierce just weeks before his murder.

We've learned investigators are combing through such evidence as adult dating sites and hundreds of images and messages to determine more about their relationship.

“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.

Shuler is being held without bond tonight and has asked for a court appointed public defender.

Floyd County Prosecutor says sex act turned deadly

By Gene Kang - WHAS11.com

May 8, 2013

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WHAS11) -- New Albany resident, Lisa Shuler, 31, is locked up in jail and charged with murder and now, more details have emerged in what Floyd County prosecutor Keith Henderson calls a twisted love affair gone terribly wrong.

49-year-old Charles Pierce was shot multiple times with a .40 caliber gun.

The prosecution says Shuler pulled the trigger during a sexual encounter.

"Mrs. Shuler was in the act of performing a sex act or just completed," Floyd County Prosecutor, Keith Henderson said.

It happened in the living room of Shuler's New Albany home.

Shuler invited Pierce to the 3800 block of Wabash Avenue to play out a rape fantasy, according to court documents, before he was killed.

"His lower garments, his pants were down," Henderson said.

According to investigators, Shuler fired two shots in a kneeling position then stood up and emptied all the bullets into Pierce's body. Detectives go on to say Shuler was afraid their sexual photos would somehow get to her husband who lives in Jefferson County, Indiana.

"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.

The prosecution believes Shuler lived alone and moved to New Albany a few weeks ago.

She originally dialed 911 with a phony home invasion.

"Call came into dispatch center that she had an intruder and someone had broken into her house," Floyd County Sheriff Darrell Mills said.

However, Pierce's mother remembers him as a man who loved life, fishing and was about to start a new job. Now she's left broken hearted.

Mildred Pierce said, "She took away part of our family that we can't get back. She left a hole in it and I'd like to ask her why?"

The Floyd County Sheriff's Office said Shuler deleted over 200 text messages from her phone. She tried to erase messages on his phone before putting it back in his pocket.

Woman who claimed she shot intruder facing murder charge

Wdrb.com

May 07, 2013

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- A Floyd County woman who lives in the house where a man was shot overnight is now sitting in the county jail, accused of murder.

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

Police rushed to the home about 9 o'clock Monday night after a woman told dispatchers she shot a man who came into her home.

The Floyd County Coroner has identified the shooting victim as 49-year-old Charles Pierce of Louisville. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the chest area.

The Sheriff said Shuler used a semi-automatic handgun. He also said she was the only person in the home at the time of the shooting.

Police weren't able to tell us if it was a break-in or if the two knew each other, but they are expected to release new details at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

Neighbors told WDRB that Shuler had only lived in the home for a short time. They said the neighborhood is relatively quiet, and they were shocked over the turn of events.

Shuler will be back in court on Thursday.

Woman arrested for murder in Floyd County

By Gary Popp - NewsandTribune.com

May 7, 2013

FLOYD COUNTY — A Floyd County woman has been arrested and preliminarily charged with murder after a man was shot in her home at 3803 Wabash Ave. Monday night.

Lisa M. Shuler, 31, appeared for an advisement of rights hearing in Floyd County Superior Court No. 3, but has not been officially charged. Floyd County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Steve Owen was granted a 72-hour continuance to issue charges against Shuler.

Owen requested the continuance as prosecutors were still receiving information from investigators, he said during the hearing. Owen said Tuesday that he expects the state to issue a charge of murder Wednesday.

Granger scheduled Shuler’s initial hearing at 1:15 p.m. Thursday, at which time she is expected to hear her charges. Owen also requested Floyd County Judge Maria Granger hold Shuler in the Floyd County Jail without bond, an order which she issued that will remain in effect until a future proceeding.

A press conference had been scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at the Floyd County Sheriff’s Department to provide area media with information pertaining to the shooting, but the meeting was canceled, as officials wanted to obtain more information before speaking openly. The press conference was tentatively rescheduled for Wednesday.

Floyd County Sheriff Darrell Mills did say Tuesday afternoon that Shuler knew the man who was fatally shot at about 9 p.m. Monday.

“They were acquaintances, but to what extent, I don’t know at this point,” Mills said. “That is still being determined by an ongoing investigation.”

Mills said the man Shuler is believed to have shot was taken to Floyd Memorial Hospital and Health Services in New Albany and died either in transport or at the hospital.

The home where the shooting occurred is located north of the New Albany city limit between Grant Line and Charlestown roads.