Indianapolis, IN – Jury selection is set to commence on October 22 at 8:30 a.m. for the trial of an Indianapolis resident, Anthony W. Carter, 50, who is accused of fatally shooting his ex-girlfriend at her home earlier this year. The case, which has captured local attention, involves the death of 40-year-old Ashley Neville, who was found deceased from a gunshot wound to the head in her residence near Azalia.
Carter faces a murder charge for the incident that occurred on April 16, 2023. The selection process is expected to draw from a pool of roughly 120 potential jurors, with plans to select twelve jurors and three alternates. Bartholomew County Prosecutor Lindsey Holden-Kay indicated that the selection might extend throughout the day, with opening statements likely to follow the next morning.
The court has initially set aside up to one and a half weeks for the trial proceedings. However, Prosecutor Holden-Kay suggested a shorter duration might suffice, labeling the extended period as a “worst case scenario.”
According to the investigation, Carter claimed during police questioning that the shooting was accidental, occurring as he tried to wrestle the gun away from Neville. This assertion will likely be scrutinized during the trial, given the complexities surrounding their relationship and a standing no-contact order that was breached at the time of the incident.
Further intrigues in the case include the condition of Neville’s home upon discovery. Law enforcement described finding the home’s windows obscured, the front door padlocked, and a large bookcase obstructing the back door. Despite repeated police knocks, there was no response from inside the house.
Suspicious activity was also reported by neighbors on the day of the incident, noting a male figure lurking in the adjacent woods. Carter was eventually located by officers with a police dog and arrested without further incidents.
The trial is expected to feature testimony from two mental health experts, Dr. Kevin Hurley and Dr. George Parker, who assessed Carter last spring. Their insights, while deemed opinions under Indiana law, could provide significant context regarding the defendant’s mental state and its relevance to his culpability.
Previous murder trials in the area underscore the severity and community impact of such cases. Notably, the last murder trial in Columbus resulted in an 85-year sentence for Patrick Doyle, convicted of murdering his live-in girlfriend in August 2021.
Moreover, the area’s last notable capital murder case, which dealt with a quadruple homicide in Waynesville in 2013, concluded in 2015 with the sentencing of Samuel E. Sallee to four consecutive life terms without parole after just two hours of jury deliberation.
As the community watches closely, this trial not only revisits the grim theme of domestic violence but also tests the judiciary’s handling of intertwined issues of mental health, legal compliance, and criminal culpability in such complex interpersonal tragedies.