INDIANAPOLIS– A $50,000 reward was announced Tuesday for information in the murder case of Wilma Hochstetler. Hochstetler and her husband, Jonathan Hochstetler, were shot on Sept. 17 in the 3700 block of North High School Road on the city’s west side. Wilma died as police responded to the scene around 1:30 a.m.
Tuesday afternoon, Wilma’s brother Timothy Slabaugh posted reward signs around the west side.
“We want results and we want fast results,” Slabaugh said.
Slabaugh has spent the last two weeks with the family, including Jonathan and their children.
“Spending the last couple days with the family and the children,” Slabaugh said. “You know hearing them weep and cry for their mother. They lost their mother and it was just absolutely gut, just heart wrenching.”
Those tears motivated Slabaugh to bring printed reward signs to the area Tuesday. Slabaugh said the contract is still being finalized by law enforcement and lawyers. It will be posted on www.facebook.com/Justice-For-Wilma.
On September 17, Jonathan, who owns his own roofing business, was finishing up work in Indianapolis preparing to head home to Greene County when a tire blew and caused some damage to the lighting on his trailer. He called his wife in Greene County to bring him a spare. She loaded up their 6-year-old son Bradon and headed for Indy.
As Jonathan worked, Wilma noticed two people lurking nearby and alerted Jonathan, according to his father Samuel Hochstetler.
“He opened up the passenger door of the truck and put his gun in there,” Samuel said about the shooter. “Jonathan said, “Whoa, what’s going on?” Then he came around the front and the other guy came around the back and they pulled out their guns on them and robbed them.”
But that’s not where the tragic night ended.
“Then they turned around and started walking away,” Samuel said. “All of a sudden, they just turned and shot. His wife just crumbled immediately. He knew right away she was dead.”
Their son watched everything from the backseat of the truck, including his dad get hit in the neck with a bullet.
No arrests have been made. Jonathan is out of the hospital and continues to recover.
Now, the family is offering a reward of $50,000 for “information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrator or perpetrators in the murder of Wilma Hochstetler.”
For more details on the reward and updates from the family, visit their Facebook page.
If you have information to report, call the Indianapolis Homicide Division at 317-327-3475. To report information anonymously, contact Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS.
