Inset: Judah Chesley (Gilbert Police Department). Background: Police outside the Arizona home where Judah Chesley allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend (KTVK).
In a tragic incident in Arizona, a man identified as Judah Chesley reportedly shot his girlfriend in a “drunken haze” and subsequently informed 911, saying, “Well, now it’s my ex,” as per the police reports. He also reached out to his father following the incident, confessing to firing a bullet “into her chin,” though he claimed uncertainty about the motive or circumstances, according to authorities.
Chesley, aged 26, allegedly expressed his confusion to a 911 operator shortly after the early Monday morning shooting, which occurred just before 1 a.m. This information was detailed in a probable cause affidavit sourced by Law&Crime.
Feeling bewildered, Chesley reportedly lamented to the dispatcher about how his mother and stepfather, who were present in the house during the incident but did not witness it, were not coming to his aid. He remarked, “Everything in life leads up to this. I don’t know what to do.”
Residing in Gilbert, Chesley is said to have instructed the dispatcher to “triangulate the location” of his whereabouts early on Monday, as indicated in the affidavit. He reportedly added, “It’s not her fault,” urging not to place blame on his girlfriend.
Authorities accuse Chesley of fatally shooting his girlfriend, whose identity has not yet been disclosed by police, with a shot to the face. After attempting to contact his father, he allegedly called 911, admitting he was under the influence of alcohol.
In his call to the dispatcher, Chesley described his condition by saying, “Ma’am, my ex, well, now it’s my ex, woke me up in a drunken stupor,” seemingly referring to his own state of intoxication, according to the affidavit.
Officers arrived at the home and took Chesley into custody after coming into contact with him and observing blood on his hands and clothes. A semi-automatic Glock 9 mm handgun was found with blood on it near the victim.
Investigators spoke with Chesley’s dad, who said Chesley tried to call him multiple times.
“[Chesley] didn’t know how it happened, but a bullet went into her chin,” the affidavit says, citing his dad’s statements to police.
Chesley’s father alleged that COVID-19 lockdowns “deteriorated” his son’s mental health, but his son refused to “go see a mental health professional,” according to police. Chesley’s mother and stepfather, who according to the affidavit were asleep when the shooting occurred, also spoke to investigators and said he owned firearms and was known to get “aggravated” about things.
“There’s days where it just seems like, if he gets upset, like it kind of sets him off and he doesn’t think right,” the affidavit says, citing accusations made by Chesley’s mom and stepfather.
One of the girlfriend’s family members spoke with police and said that she and Chesley had gotten into “numerous” arguments in the past. In one prior incident, Chesley used a Taser on the victim, the relative said.
Chesley was booked on a charge of second-degree murder. Court officials told Law&Crime on Tuesday that prosecutors had not yet formally filed charges.
