Jurors in Clark County, Indiana, watched a man tell police his wife shot herself. The man is Stephen Gower. He is on trial for murder. The state says he shot and killed his wife, Christina Gower, on Aug. 4, 2025.

The jury saw his police interview on Monday, Oct. 19. Det. Christopher Proctor of the Clark County Sheriff's Office also testified that day.

Gower was 53 when he was charged. He pleaded not guilty. In the video, he said more than once that he did not shoot his wife.

What he told the detective

Proctor brought Gower from the scene to the sheriff's office. He talked with him for 45 minutes.

In the video, Gower tells how the day went. He says the couple was packing to move to North Carolina to be near family. He says he looked at her phone. He says they argued all night. They also bought alcohol at a store. He says he broke a chair.

He says the fight led to a gun in the master bedroom. He says he held the gun to his own head and said he would end it. He says he could not do it.

He says that at some point Christina got the gun and shot herself. He says he cannot remember where exactly he was. He says he drank 12 to 14 beers. "You're asking me to remember the worst day of my life," he said.

What the defense questioned

Proctor's notes show a gap. For a time, his body camera was off. The audio in the room was also off. Proctor was apparently on a phone call. He came back to the room but did not turn the equipment on. He kept talking with Gower about Christina's medicine and mental health.

Defense lawyer Larry Wilder asked if Proctor turned off the equipment by mistake or on purpose. He also asked if Proctor thought he was working a murder case. He asked if Proctor questioned Gower to make him confess.

What the state says

Prosecutor Brennen Goodin spoke to jurors on Wednesday, Oct. 14. He said Gower called 911 and said Christina killed herself. He said police found broken things in the home. He said she had bruises on her wrists. He said Gower's later statements were not consistent.

Goodin said the state will show bullet pieces and blood on Gower's shorts. He said tests showed she was too drunk to walk. He said that means she could not have used a gun on herself.

A probable cause affidavit says an autopsy found the shot came from at least three feet away. Police have said that means she could not have shot herself.

What the defense says

Wilder told jurors there is "no credible evidence" that Gower committed murder. He said nothing rules out that Christina took her own life. He said Gower's fingerprints were not on the gun. He said Christina's prints were on the safety. He said the lab did not test the trigger.

Wilder said relatives will talk about Christina's struggles with mental health. He also said the jury will see police walk through the scene and contaminate it. On Thursday, Oct. 15, a sheriff's captain testified about how the scene was handled.

What happens next

The trial goes on. Judge Nicholas Karaffa is in charge. No verdict has been reported.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If you need help with domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.

Everyone is presumed innocent until proved otherwise.