Venable
A Hope man who was already in ill health when he allegedly shot his wife multiple times nearly four years ago has died.
Thomas R. Venable, 73, died Tuesday at the Neuro Diagnostic Institute in Indianapolis.
Investigators say the retired insurance appraiser shot his wife, Linda Venable, twice in the chest with a .22 caliber pistol following an argument on June 27, 2020. Hope Town Marshal Matt Tallent said last fall that Linda Venable, who was 70 when she was shot, appeared to be recovering well from her wounds.
Her wheelchair-bound husband was charged with attempted murder as a Level 1 felony, as well as battery by means of a deadly weapon as a Level 5 felony.
But on Sept. 12, 2023, both the defense and state agreed that Venable should not be in jail due to his declining mental and physical condition.
Two doctors evaluated Venable, one finding his competency could not be restored and another saying the prospects for restoring competency were dubious.
Bartholomew County Jail nurse Cindy Weisner testified Venable had difficulty with daily activities, has suffered from falls in detention and could not effectively communicate.
Venable’s sister, Mara Sauer, is also a nurse, and testified her brother would remain “pretty much paralyzed and unable to communicate” for the remainder of his life.
Judge Kelly Benjamin declared the defendant as incompetent that same day, and ordered that Venable be committed to the Indiana Division of Mental Health.
Investigators wrote in a probable cause affidavit that Thomas and Linda Venable had been arguing just prior to the shooting, after Linda told her husband she was leaving the house and began changing her clothes.
“She said that Thomas fired the pistol until it was empty,” according to the probable cause affidavit. “Linda called 911 after she was shot, and while she was on the line, she could hear Thomas reloading the pistol.”
That’s when the victim fled outside and was met by Hope Police officers Rick Everroad and Tony Wilson, the affidavit states.
After Linda Venable was taken to a safe location, Everroad and Wilson ordered the husband to come outside. Thomas Venable complied, and was taken into custody without further incident.
