An 85-year-old woman from Idaho (United States) won’t face prison expenses for kill a man who prosecutors say threatened his life throughout a house invasion final month.
Bingham County Prosecutor Ryan Jolley reviewed the incident and finally determined that for Christine Jenneiahn she was “justified to take all vital means to defend herself and her son” the evening she shot and killed alleged house invader Derek Condon final March.
In his account of the incident, which Bingham County Sheriff’s Office shared on FacebookJolley recounted the occasions, revealing how Condon raided the woman’s house in the midst of the evening, whereas her disabled son was additionally within the house.
According to prosecutors, citing Jenneiahn’s statements and an investigation, the incident occurred round 2:00 a.m. on March 13, 2024. Both Christine and his “handicapped son David” have been at house and have been asleep on the time, when a man later recognized as Condon “who was sporting a navy jacket, black balaclava and pointing a gun and flashlight at her,” woke her up.
The report said that blood proof means that Condon ‘in all probability’ hit Christine within the head as she lay on the mattress, earlier than handcuffing her and taking her to one other room, the place he then handcuffed her to a wood chair.
“Condon then requested the place valuables have been stored within the houseand put the gun to her head after she informed him she did not have a lot,” the story continues.
The county legal professional says Jenneiahn informed Condon there have been two safes downstairs. While trying to find the property, Condon allegedly realized that Jenneiahn’s son was additionally house “and he bought indignant with Christine for not telling him,” earlier than threatening to kill her.
“At one level, whereas Condon was downstairs, Christine dragged the chair she was handcuffed to into her bed room and “He took out his .357 Magnum revolver from beneath his pillow.”, continued the official account of the Sheriff’s Office. “She then returned to the lounge and hid the revolver between the armrest and cushion of a sofa subsequent to the place she was sitting and waited to see what Condon would do subsequent.”
The report famous that Jenneiahn’s recollection of what occurred subsequent “stays considerably hazy,” however mentioned that she “finally He made the choice that it was ‘now or by no means’” when the offender returned to the lounge, and that is when she pulled out her gun and fired twice.
The robber returned hearth, hitting Jenneiahn within the stomach, leg, arm and chest, earlier than retreating to the kitchen, the place he died.
Meanwhile, Jenneiahn remained handcuffed to the chair for about 10 hours earlier than her son got here down, gave her a cellphone, and she known as 911. Then He was handled for his accidents and survived.
A subsequent investigation discovered Condon’s automotive close to Jenneiahn’s house, with footprints main towards the sufferer’s house, in addition to a screwdriver subsequent to a damaged window behind Christine’s house. On Condon’s physique, police discovered “a set of lock picks, his automotive key, a handcuff key and a bag containing objects he had stolen of residence”.
Sheriff Jolley concluded that Jenneiahn had acted in self-defense and that Condon’s loss of life was a justifiable murder beneath Idaho regulation, and mentioned the incident “additionally presents some of the heroic acts of self-preservation that I’ve by no means heard of.”
Summarizing the alleged occasions of the evening to assist his determination, he wrote: “Condon was nonetheless within the act of his violent house invasion when Christine determined to assault him with lethal pressure. He had informed Christine that he would kill her a number of instances, He broke into her house in the midst of the evening, handcuffed her to a chair, and beat her along with his firearm. Her disabled son was downstairs in her room. She is additionally 85 years previous. “Any cheap particular person would have discovered it vital to defend herself or her disabled baby in such circumstances.”
“That Christine survived this encounter is really unbelievable. Your braveness, willpower and will to reside appear to be what saved her that evening,” Jolley wrote.
