Monday July 20, 2015, 10:21 AM
On Friday July 17, 2015 at 10:49 a.m., an anonymous call was placed to 911 stating that there was a body in the back bedroom of a residence in the 2600 block of Putters Lane. Officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) arrived and located a deceased female, later identified as 55 year-old Ardelle Stemmer, in the back bedroom of the residence. IMPD Homicide investigators were called to the scene to investigate the circumstances surrounding this suspicious death.
IMPD Homicide investigators learned that Stemmer lived in the residence with her boyfriend, 62 year-old James Edwards. Edwards was not on the scene to speak with investigators, and the victim’s vehicle was missing. At around 3:00 p.m., a veteran IMPD officer located the vehicle in the first block of North Arsenal Avenue. A search for Mr. Edwards was attempted by IMPD’s canine unit, but he was not immediately located. Due to the heavy rain, the veteran officer knew Edwards was still in the general area where the car was located. The officer located James Edwards under the picnic shelter in Willard Park, and he was taken into custody without incident.
Investigators believe Edwards and Stemmer had an argument on Tuesday July 14, 2015, which led Edwards to strangle Stemmer. After realizing that Stemmer’s body had not been discovered, he used the victim’s cell phone to place the anonymous 911 call, which led to the discovery of her body. IMPD Homicide investigators arrested Edwards on a preliminary charge of murder, and he was transported to the Adult Processing Center. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office (MCPO) will review the case findings to determine a final charging decision.