(La Porte County, IN) - A man has been found guilty in the strangling death of his stepfather in La Porte.
Breon Ware, 37, was convicted of murder, Level 3 felony aggravated battery and Level 4 felony serious violent felon in possession of a firearm Wednesday afternoon in La Porte Circuit Court by a jury after about four hours of deliberations.
According to prosecutors, the investigation shows the victim, Aaron Stingley, 58, complained to Ware about the volume of the music he was playing, which led to an argument inside a home last October in the 1400 block of Jefferson Ave.
A key piece of evidence was the testimony of a nine-year old boy, who reported hearing the two men arguing over speakers from his upstairs bedroom. The boy said he went downstairs and saw Ware punch the victim, who fell face down on a livingroom couch.
He said the fighting resumed after Stingley stood back up and the two men were on the floor when Ware put his arm around his neck. The boy said he went back upstairs but soon returned to the main level with his brother to find Stingley lying motionless on the couch.
According to authorities, Ware went to his mother’s workplace at a nearby Wendy’s restaurant and insisted she return home to check on the man. She did and tried waking him up until discovering he didn’t have a pulse.
La Porte County Prosecutor Sean Fagan said the death was believed from natural causes, initially, due to the victim being obese and having recent health related issues.
But, Fagan said it wasn’t long before investigators taking a closer look noticed marks around Stingley’s neck that indicated he was strangled, which was later confirmed during an autopsy.
“Because of that, that’s what kind of got the ball rolling,” he said.
According to police, a search of the home turned up a shotgun Ware was seen in possession of prior to the strangling. It was against the law for him to have a gun due to a prior conviction for dealing cocaine from 2013.
Ware, who’s originally from Gary, could face anywhere from a 45 to 65 year sentence on the murder conviction alone.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 25.
