An Indiana man is facing murder charges following the discovery of his girlfriend’s body, which was located by a friend who used her cell phone’s ringtone to track her down.
According to WXIN, an autopsy revealed that Kimberly Stewart died from multiple blunt force trauma injuries, believed to have been inflicted by the blunt side of an axe.
The friend recounted to Indianapolis Police that Stewart was involved in buying cars at auction, refurbishing them, and selling them. He had sent her a text on Tuesday afternoon to arrange the collection of a vehicle that had been sold but received no response. When he arrived around 4:30 p.m., Stewart was nowhere to be found, and her car was missing. He initially left to run errands but returned later that evening, sending another text just after 10 p.m. to inform her of his visit.
Upon his arrival, he noticed Stewart’s dog outside, which was unusual as the dog was typically not left alone. He also discovered the backdoor was unlocked, and her boyfriend, 45-year-old Travis Wolfe, was absent — a rare occurrence as Wolfe was known to “never leave,” according to the friend.
Concerned, the friend called Stewart’s phone and traced the ringtone to her body, found lying between a fence and an outdoor spa in the backyard. Law enforcement arrived at the scene around 11 p.m.
In discussions with investigators, the friend described Wolfe as a “psychopath maniac” who had issued threats to kill people the previous day, as detailed in court documents. He claimed that Wolfe often carried an axe, engaged in erratic behavior in the backyard, and harbored the belief that others were out to get him. The friend also mentioned that Wolfe and Stewart frequently argued.
The affidavit said that police were “familiar” with Wolfe.
Police later found Wolfe driving a BMW registered to Stewart. They found traces of blood on the passenger seat and floorboard — and an axe on the back seat.
Wolfe told investigators he had argued with Stewart on Tuesday but denied hitting her with his axe.
But police spoke with a neighbor who provided crucial information. That witness said he was loading a car in his driveway when he heard a woman scream and saw a man he later identified as Wolfe swinging a “club or hammer” toward the ground. He also said the man kept yelling at a dog to “shut up.”
The witness “specifically noted that the male was between the spa and the wooden fence,” the affidavit said. “This is the same place where police found Kimberly Stewart’s body.”
Wolfe was arrested on a preliminary murder charge as well as an outstanding warrant for unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon case.
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will make the final charging decision.
