INDIANAPOLIS — Police have arrested a man for the murder of his wife who he claims committed suicide in front of him.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were initially called to the 100 block of North Euclid Avenue on January 24, 2020 just before 3 p.m. after a man called 911 claiming his wife had shot herself during an argument.
According to court documents filed against Derrick Mann, officers arrived at the home to find him standing over the victim — later identified as Sinthia Costa — with a gun lying on the floor within arm's reach of both of them. While escorting Mann downstairs, officers say he appeared agitated and kept yelling "Is suicide a crime now?"
Mann told investigators that his Costa was his wife and that she had been living in Maryland until she showed up on January 14, 2020.
Mann said he and Costa had argued a few times since she showed up in Indianapolis and had done so again on the day that she died when he came home and found her in his bedroom.
During that argument, Mann claims he put his gun on top of the dresser in the bedroom and laid on the bed while Costa was trying to talk to him. He told detectives when he refused to talk to her she stood up and grabbed the handgun, faced him and shot herself. Investigators say Mann's description of how and where Costa was alleged to have shot herself were not consistent and he avoided giving specific details.
The Marion County Coroner determined that Costa died from a single gunshot wound to the back of her head that exited through her forehead, according to court documents, which was inconsistent with the story and information that Mann had given them.
"When confronted about the findings today during the autopsy, Mann told me it was impossible and that he did have his hand on the back of her head to stop the bleeding," the court documents stated.
Mann was arrested and has been formally charged with Murder.
