A 79-year-old Bloomington man is facing preliminary felony charges after his wife was found shot twice over the weekend in eastern Monroe County. James Kulis called 911 late Saturday to report that his wife, Harrietann M. Kulis, also 79 and of Bloomington, was dead, according to Indiana State Police.
Indiana State Police are investigating the fatal shooting, according to WIBC. Officers located James Kulis, his wife, and a vehicle along Kent Road near State Road 46, per the station's report. Detectives from the Bloomington District's Investigative Unit and crime scene investigators also responded to the scene, the outlet notes.
Preliminary Charges and Jail Booking
James Kulis was transported to the Monroe County Jail, per ISP officials, and is facing one preliminary count of assisting suicide, a Level 5 felony, and one preliminary count of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, a Level 6 felony, according to Fox 59. The same report describes the charges as preliminary felonies pending further review. Indiana State Police said the incident remains under investigation.
Under Indiana law, the baseline classification for criminal recklessness is lower than the felony count Kulis is facing in this case. The Indiana General Assembly's criminal code states that, except under specified circumstances, “criminal recklessness is a Class B misdemeanor,” though the statute does not detail how that general classification applies to the enhanced felony charge filed in this particular case.
Autopsy Still Pending
An autopsy for Harrietann Kulis is pending, according to the same ISP account relayed by WIBC. No further details about the circumstances surrounding her death have been released, and the case remains under active investigation by Indiana State Police.
