Fatal Shooting in Delaware County
Tamela Dutcher, a 55-year-old doctor, was fatally shot in her home in Delaware County, Ohio, on Aug. 14. According to court records, Dutcher was sitting on the couch when two men, identified as 20-year-old Christian Evans and 21-year-old Dajameous Payne, entered the residence and fired a single shot. The medical examiner later pronounced Dutcher dead at the hospital.
Details from a 911 call, as described in court documents, capture the chaos of the moment. A man can be heard asking, "What the hell did you do?" and, moments later, yelling "Oh! What the hell?" as a second gunshot is reported and someone flees through the front door. The New York Post reports that Dutcher's husband rushed to her aid after hearing the gunshot, and that Evans and Payne fired at him but missed before fleeing. The Gateway Pundit, citing the court affidavit, notes that Dutcher was shot in the back of the neck and that a second bullet was found embedded in the wall where the husband had previously stood.
The Alleged Plot
Authorities allege that Dutcher's teenage daughter, Bryanna Dutcher, played a central role in the attack. The New York Post reports that the shooting followed an argument between Bryanna and her mother over chores. According to a police affidavit, Bryanna had been dating Evans in secret because she feared her parents, whom she called "very racist," would kick her out if they knew about her relationship with a Black man.
Text messages allegedly exchanged before the shooting paint a chilling picture. Evans allegedly texted Bryanna, "If I were you, I would have killed her," and later, "Once they both pass away" and "I believe you should also get a gun." Bryanna provided locations of her parents in text messages, writing "Alr she's living room, he's basement, where you're here, lmk" and instructed to "take them both out at the same time," to which she replied, "I'll just take them down." The Gateway Pundit reports that the exchange included Evans writing "This has to be perfect."
Evans and Payne waited outside for about 15 minutes before Bryanna confirmed her parents' locations, according to police. After the shooting, Bryanna allegedly attempted to hide the attack, telling police she saw nothing and then accusing a friend of her mother who owed her money. Court documents state that "Bryanna repeatedly lied to law enforcement about her knowledge of the circumstances, which delayed identifying leads and suspects."
Arrests and Charges
Police identified Evans and Payne as suspects after Evans was spotted on a surveillance camera dumping a bag into a dumpster outside his apartment, which contained a gun holster and pants. Bryanna was first arrested on an obstruction of justice charge; charges were later upgraded, and all three were indicted on aggravated murder charges. The indictment, which says, "the trio did engage in "the death of Tamela Dutcher," with "prior calculation and design." The New York Post reported on the indictment.
According to The Gateway Pundit, Bryanna also alleged earlier that Payne had threatened to kidnap her family. During the investigation, Evans's father told police he received a text from his son saying "had the fucked up," and his GPS location was shown to be near the Dutcher home at the time of the shooting.
A Physician's Work on Adolescent Violence
Tamela Dutcher, a doctor, had co-authored ``The Violent and Homicidal Adolescent: Hearts above Time,'' a paper published in a medical journal in 2002. The paper, written alongside Daniel Davis, discussed typologies of adolescent murderers. It highlighted that most young female killers target family members. The Gateway Pundit notes that the paper also focused on the therapeutic approaches for juvenile offenders, suggesting that traditional verbally oriented psychotherapy is often ineffective for these individuals and that therapy should be more rooted in art and creativity.
Legal Proceedings Underway
The three are being held at the Delaware County Jail. On Friday, Evans' attorney filed a "suggestion of incompetency," claiming that Evans is not fit to stand trial and requesting that a physician evaluate him. This could put the legal proceedings on hold while the court determines whether Evans is competent to proceed.
No other details have been released about potential trial dates or the scheduling of further hearings. The case continues to be investigated by the Delaware County authorities.