Husband officially charged with murder

WELLS COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) - Tyler White, 27, of Bluffton, Indiana was formally charged with murder Wednesday in the shooting death of his wife, Amy White, 28.

White entered the Wells County Circuit Court around 11:00 a.m.  He was wearing an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs.  Around 40 people gathered in the courtroom for White's initial hearing.  Twenty-five people were there in support of Amy, many of them crying.  The others were there on behalf of Tyler. The hearing lasted about ten minutes.  During that time he was charged with murder for the death of his wife.  The judge also entered a preliminary plea of not guilty on his behalf and ordered White to be held without bond. His first trial date has been scheduled for April 20, 2010.

The death investigation began Tuesday around 9:15 a.m. when the Wells County Sheriff's Department received a 911 from Tyler White.  When officers got to his father's rural Bluffton home along East County Road 100 South, they found Amy White in the garage, suffering from two gunshot wounds to the chest. Police found Tyler White kneeling beside her body; the couple's two year old son was standing beside his father.

Amy White was taken to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead.

NewsChannel 15 has learned that White and her husband had been separated since August 2008 and were in the process of getting a divorce. Amy White was at the Bluffton home to pick up their son. "It appears there was some disagreement over custody of the child," said Wells County Sheriff Robert Frantz. Tyler and Amy White were supposed to attend a custody hearing the next day. The department had not found any previous accounts of domestic disputes between the couple.

Frantz says there were several shots fired. "It appears that there were some shots fired outside of the garage, but it doesn't appear those shots were taken at anybody. There was a cell phone shot outside of the garage."

After being questioned by authorities, Tyler White was arrested Tuesday afternoon.  White has not made a confession, but has told authorities several versions of what happened and indicated he was the shooter.  After the hearing Wednesday, Wells Country prosecutor Mike Lautzenheiser also said White had indicated he was responsible for his wife's death. "He acknowledged that he shot her."

The couple's son is okay and staying with relatives.

Amy was an assistant coach for the women's basketball team at the University of Saint Francis. Head coach Gary Andrews tells NewsChannel 15 he saw her around 9 pm Monday, just hours before her death Tuesday morning. He says Amy looked happy and was excited about the season.

"I saw her 9 o'clock that night. We had practice, she left. And 12 hours later she's dead. So it's just like a shock," said Andrews. He added she was a "doting mother" and an excellent basketball player.  "She's such a positive person. Everybody liked her. I mean, she's a great mom."

This was her first year coaching for the Cougars. She also played for Andrews for two years. He says the team is having a hard time with the loss.

"I know everybody just really loves Amy. I've talked to a lot of her former players and they're just really, we're all just really devastated," said Andrews. "It's really been hard for everybody. And our current team, they're just taking it really hard. And we're just hoping everybody can remember Amy as a great person. And remember her family in their prayers."

According to police, people who knew the couple told officers Amy White may have been pregnant. Her autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday. The results are expected in the next few days.