Fatal incident leads to felony

A weekend gathering turned tragic in the early hours of Feb. 28, leaving a young woman dead and another facing felony charges following a violent struggle near a backyard fire pit.

Samantha Mae Mayhew, 33, of Poland, IN, has been remanded to the Owen County Security Center on a charge of involuntary manslaughter following the death of 27-year-old Kiersten Moore.

A Chaotic Response

The incident began in northwestern Owen County at approximately 12:32 a.m. when authorities with the Owen County Sheriff's Department responded to a disturbance at a residence on Private Road 525 West. Dispatchers warned responding officers that a physical fight had occurred and one participant was no longer breathing.

Upon arrival, the first responding officer encountered Mayhew walking along the roadway. According to the probable cause affidavit, she appeared highly distressed, with blood covering her face and clothing and a visible laceration on her cheek.

While Mayhew initially requested to be left alone, she allegedly told the officer, "They were trying to get her for that girl not breathing," and urged him to "go down there and get that girl breathing."

Life-Saving Efforts at the Scene

At the residence, the officer discovered the property owner performing CPR on Moore, who was found lying on her back near a rock pile and a fire pit. Despite the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and continued life-saving efforts by authorities and first responders with the Cataract Volunteer Fire Department, Moore never regained consciousness. She was later pronounced deceased at Putnam County Hospital.

Witness Accounts of the Struggle

Witnesses told investigators that the evening had been calm until an argument erupted while Taylor Mayhew—Samantha's brother and the victim's boyfriend—had briefly stepped away.

A male witness informed police that Moore had been sitting quietly when Samantha Mayhew began aggressively questioning her regarding the custody of her child. The confrontation escalated when Samantha Mayhew allegedly grabbed Moore by her hoodie and tackled her backward into a rock pile.

Taylor Mayhew reported returning to the fire to find Samantha on top of Moore. He admitted to "slamming" into his sister to pull her off the victim. Witnesses suggested the injuries to Samantha's face occurred during this secondary struggle with her brother as he attempted to intervene.

Evidence of Intoxication and Conflict

Police noted that Samantha Mayhew exhibited strong signs of intoxication, including the odor of alcohol, slurred speech and unsteady balance. While Moore had reportedly smoked marijuana earlier in the evening, witnesses stated she had not been drinking and remained "calm" until the physical assault began.

During the investigation, Mayhew's behavior was described as erratic. She reportedly escaped from the back of a patrol vehicle multiple times. At one point, she allegedly stated, "I did this," before later telling officers, "I promise I didn't do this."

Ongoing Investigation

A search warrant was executed at the property, where the probable cause affidavit notes Indiana State Police crime scene investigators located blood evidence on the ground, a white table and a hat near the site of the struggle.

Samantha Mayhew was treated for her facial injuries at a local hospital before being booked into jail. The investigation remains active.

Legal Proceedings

Following a medical evaluation, Samantha Mae Mayhew was remanded to the Owen County Security Center. During an initial hearing on March 2, her bond was set at $30,000 (cash, surety, or 10%).

The court has scheduled the following dates for the case: pretrial conference, April 16; final pretrial conference, July 10; and a trial by jury, Aug. 18.

According to Indiana law, involuntary manslaughter is "the unjustified, unexcused, unintentional killing of one human being by another human being without malice aforethought."

The involuntary manslaughter charge Mayhew faces is a Level 5 Felony. In Indiana, the maximum penalty for such a crime is a six-year prison sentence and a fine of up to $10,000.

Speculation on Social Media

In response to growing social media chatter, the Owen County Sheriff's Office issued the following statement via its Facebook page on March 3:

"The internet and social media is an amazing thing for many reasons, but an absolute super spreader of misinformation in many instances. For some reason people love to speculate and spread things they 'know for a fact' on social media regarding criminal cases. In reference to the case involving the arrest of Samantha Mayhew, we have not released any information due to one imperative part of the investigation not yet being complete. While we understand the probable cause affidavit is public record and has been obtained and published on other sources, we disagree with this practice until all facts are made available. Please do not post speculations, theories, opinions or rumors out of respect for the victim and her family. We have not made a press release or announced a cause of death, because a cause of death has not yet been determined. An autopsy was conducted today (March 3), and that information will be made public when it is available."

Prosecutor Benjamin Kim reminded the public that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.