STATE OF INDIANA

IN THE ST. JOSEPH SUPERIOR COURT

COUNTY OF ST. JOSEPH

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)

CAUSE NUMBER __

STATE OF INDIANA

v.
CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR.

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INFORMATION FOR MURDER,

a felony

COUNT 1 MURDER
KIMBERLY L. SCHULTZ, upon information and belief, affirms under penalty of perjury
that:
On November 17,2016, in Saint Joseph CmJUty,State oflndiana,Christopher

Fulce,.Sr.did

knowingly kill another human being, that being Carlin Fulce.

All of which is contrary to the form of the statutes in such cases made and provided by
Indiana Code 35-42-1-1 (a), and against the peace and dignity of the State of Indiana ..
I affirm under the penalties for perjury that th
/

The Court having reviewed the Affidavit in Support of Charging Information makes Ii.
preliminary finding that the State has. proven, by a preponderance of the evidence,. that the guilt
of the Defendant is evident and/or the presumption of guilt is strong. Warrant

ordered issued .

.Defendant is ordered to be held without bond. Further hearing on bond to be set at either
.party'~ request.

Sofo~d n1!fofNo
the

vember,

2016 ?il

Jt,~~yftj

WIlNESSES:
Christopher Fulce, Jr.
Diamond Redding
Devin Dotson
Timothy Wiley, CMHU
Brian Cook, CMHU
J<.yleSlater, CMHU
James Andrews, CMHU
Jonathon Gray, DIU
Alex Arendt, CMHU
Forensic Pathologist
All paramedics and medical personnel
Michael Moriarty, SJCPD
Christopher Lawson-Rulli, SCJPD
Nathan Benge, SCJPD
Curt Sinclair, SCJPD
David Holcomb, .SCJPD
Anthony Joziates, SCJPD
Brad Ballters, S.CJPD
Devin Reagan, SCJPD
Crajg Swanson, SCJPD
James Hart, SCJPD
Jerome Ratkiewicz, SCJPD
Kyle Stopczynski, SCJPD
Ray Wolfenbarger, SBPD
Chadwick Goben, SBPD
All witnesses listed in police, medical and laboratory reports

STATE OF INDIANA

)
) SS:

IN THE ST. JOSEPH SUPERIOR

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY

CAUSE NO. 71DO -

STATE OF INDIANA

.1611-

COURT

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VS.

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FINDING OF PROBABLE CAUSE AND ORDERS OF COURT

The undersigned

Judge of the St. Joseph Superior Court FINDS that the State ofIndianahas

filed a Petition for Finding of Probable Cause in the above-captioned

the verified police reports andJor Supplemental

Affidavit for Probable Cause attached thereto

establish probable cause to believe that on or about the rr\ay

named individual

action, and the Petition and

of November,. 2016,. the above-

committed the offense(s) stated in the Petition and that the Office of the

Prosecuting Attorney needs additional time to evaluate the case and determine what criminal
charge(s), if any, should be filed. The State is given to the
Accordingly,

the above-named

of.... ~:.

County, Indiana,

in the. amount of $

j(

~t dayo~\J,,2016

to file charges;

individual is ORDERED held by the SheriffofS1.

Joseph

law..e.n..fo.r.c...e.ment agency, until such tim.e a..s sai..d~.n..d.i.Vidj...1posts a.BO.nd

~!!It)

. mI~2rMd

.--.-.Orc _.....

corporate surety or $

thereof. The Clerk of the Court and/or the Prosecuting

... _.-

--:!: .~._. ..__ _ ... cash

in lieu

Attorney shall forward a copy of this Order

to the Sheriff of 81. Joseph County, Indiana, or other law enforcement

agency, who shall be charged

with execution of this Order of Commitment

The next hearing in the matter will be on
S1. Joseph Superior Court, 1855 Courthouse
The:above-named
.

..

individual is ORDERED
~

SO ORDERED

.f

theJ( sr

day 0~6V~ 2016 at 1: 15 P.M., in the.

122 South Lafayette Boulevard,

South Bend, Indiana.

to appear at that next hearing .

.....

THIS

DA Y2F

November, 2016 AT

,-

A.M.~.

STATE OF INDIANA
ST. JOSEPH COUNTY

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) SS:
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IN THE ST. JOSEPH SUPERIOR COURT

CAUSE NO.
STATE OF INDIANA
VS.

CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR.

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AFFIDAVIT IN SUPPORT
OF PROBABLE CAUSE

Timothy Wiley, affirming under the penalties for perjury, states that:
I am an Investigator currently employed by the South Bend Police Department and
assigned to the County Metro Homicide Unit (CMHU). I have been a police officer for 12 years.
I make this affidavit after conducting interviews with witnesses, reviewing physical evidence,
speaking to medical personnel, and after conferring with other investigators of CMHU and
officers of the Saint Joseph County Police Department.
On the 17fh day of November, 2016, officers of the Saint Joseph County Police
Department were dispatched to 2.Fillmore

Road in South Bend in reference to a shooting;

The residence on Fillmore Road is occupied by CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR.Upon arrival,

officers found a brown Oldsmobile crashed into a tree just off the driveway. Officers learned that
the Oldsmobile had been previously occupied by Charlin Fulce, the son of CHRISTOPHER
FULCE, SR. CharlinFulce was removed from the scene with an apparent gunshot injury near the
head. CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR. and a number of other witnesses were-at the scene and
transported to County Metro Homicide for interviews. The initial report to.officers at the.scene
was that CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR. shot his son Charlin Fulce after having a disagreement
about another family member. CMHU was activated to assist in this investigation as a result of
theseverity.ofthe

injuries sustained by Charlin Fulce.

During the course of the investigation, I interviewed Christopher Fulce, Jr. He stated that
Charlin Fulce is his brother and that CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR. is his father. He reported that
he was at his father's home that evening along with his brother, Charlin Fulce, girlfriend,
Diamond Redding, and Devin Dotson, his half-brother. While at the residence on Fillmore,
CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR. and Charlin Fulce had a verbal disagreement over the adoption of
another family member. CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR. had apparently been raising a child for
many years and planned to adopt the child. Charlin Fulce disagreed with his father's plan to
adopt the child and told his father that he knew he could locate the rightful father.
CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR. became upset by this and threw a child's small riding toy at
Chatlin Fulce. The toy hit Charlin Fulce. Charlin Fulce threw the car back at his father, striking
him. Charlin Fulce then approached CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR. and struck his father in the
chest with a closed fist.
After being struck in the chest by Charlin Fulce, CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR. went
upstairs to retrieve his .22 caliber rifle. As that was occurring, Charlin Fulce left the residence
and got into his brown Oldsmobile that was parked outside. As Charlin Fulce was a~mpting to
drive away from the house, CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR. began firing shots in the direction of
the car striking the ground near the vehicle. Charlin Fulce returned fire from inside the car but
did not strike anyone with his shots. CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR. responded with more gunfire,
bullets_did strike-the car. This caused the Oldsmobile to crash into a tree. Christopher Fulce, Jr.
approachedthecar._He

found his brother, Charlin Fulce, slumped over inside of the Oldsmobile

leaning over from the driver's side into the passenger's seat of the car with his head towards the
floorboard. Christopher Fulce, Jr. pulled him out of the car, and could see blood. He attempted to .
apply pressure to his brother's wounds and believed he had been shot.

Investigator Brian Cook of the County Metro Homicide Unit interviewed Devin Dotson
was also at the house on Fillmore when the shooting occurred. He also stated that a verbal
argument began between CHRISTOPHER FULCE. SR. and Charlin Fulce. As the verbal
argument occurred. Devin Dotson exited the residence. From outside of the residence. near a
door. Devin Dotson could hear a physical altercation begin. Devin Dotson then went back.into
the residence where he sees Charlin and CHRSTOPHER FULCE. SR. on the floor. He saw
Charlin break free and then Charlin Fulce walked outside to enter his brown Oldsmobile. Devin
Dotson recalled CHRISTOPHER FULCE. SR. stating. "The day you hit me is the day you're
gonna [sic] die." After making that statement. Devin Dotson observed CHRISTOHPER FULCE,
SR. walk upstairs where he eventually emerged with a rifle. As CHRISOPHER FULCE, SR.
came outside with the rifle. Devin Dotson went back inside.
Devin Dotson recalled hearing a loud noise outside. Through the windows he observed
CHRISTOPHER FULCE. SR. holding the rifle in a low. ready position. He saw the Oldsmobile
pulling away and could hear the sound of gunshots. As he continued to look through windows.
he saw CHRISTOPHER FULCE. SR. shooting in the direction of the Oldsmobile.
I read CHRISTOPHER FULCE. SR. his Miranda Warning and he agreed to speak to me
after waiving his rights. CHRISTOPHER FULCE. SR. reported there was a verbal argument
about the adoption of another family member. He stated that he threw a child's riding toy at his
son CharlinFulce. which Charlin threw back. Charlin Fulce punched him in the chest. I cheekedCHRISTOPHER FULCE. SR. for injury to the chest and did not observe any bruising or marks
on his-body. CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR. reported he told his son. "I'll be damned if you hit
me~"At that point, CHRISTOPHER FULCE. SR. said he went to his upstairs bedroom to get his
gun. He reported that when he went to get his own firearm. he did not believe that his son

Charlin Fulce was armed. He came back downstairs and began firing the gun from the yard of his
home. He stated that when he was firing his gun, his son CharlinFulce was in his car. At first,
CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR. stated he did not believe he was firing in the direction olhis son
Charlino He later retracted that statement, saying only that he might have been firing in Charlin's
direction into the ground. CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR. recalled that CharIin Fulce returned fire.
That prompted him to continue to shoot in Charlin Fulce's direction. He did not initially know
that he struck Charlin Fulce. CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR. remembered that he reloaded his .22
caliber rifle once he returned inside his house. After realizing that Charlin Fulce had been hit,
CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR. remained at the scene to wait for the arrival of police and
paramedics;
Officers andJnvestigators processed the scene at 23769 Fillmore Road after obtaining.
search warrants for the cars and structures on that property. They found the brown Oldsmobile
crashed into a tree. Inside of the Oldsmobile, a .25 handgun was found on the passenger's side
floorboard of the car. Red stain was also found inside of the car that had been occupied by
Charlin Fulce. Evidence technicians located the .22 caliber rifle CHRISTOPHER FULCE, SR.
reported using in the shooting.
During the course of this investigation, we conferred with medical personnel who were
treating Charlin Fulce at Memorial Hospital in South Bend. Preliminary reports from the doctors
reported that CharI in Fulce was struck in the head/neck area, and that a bullet fragment entered
his brain stem causing catastrophic injury. As a result, he has been declared dead.
All of the abovehappenedinSt.

Joseph County, Indiana.

1 affirm, under the penalties for perjury, that the foregoing representations are true.