An Ohio physician who once co-authored research on the “homicidal adolescent” was later killed in what authorities allege was a plot involving her own daughter.
Bryanna Dutcher, 18, is facing a murder charge in the death of her mother, Dr. Tamela D. Dutcher, according to a criminal complaint filed in Delaware County. Prosecutors initially charged Bryanna with obstruction of justice before upgrading the case.
Bryanna’s boyfriend, Christian Evans, and his roommate, Dajameous Payne, have also been charged with murder in connection with Tamela Dutcher’s death.
In a 2002 academic paper published in the International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, Tamela Dutcher and a co-author studied youth violence, writing that “children and youth are being killed or are killing at an ever-increasing pace.”
The paper noted that most young homicide offenders are boys, but added that “those few girls who kill tend to kill family members.”
No pleas have been entered. Attorneys for Bryanna Dutcher and Christian Evans did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Oxygen, and court records did not list an attorney for Dajameous Payne.
Investigators say the fatal sequence began on Aug. 14, when Bryanna and Tamela Dutcher argued about cleaning, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Oxygen.
Bryanna told police she called Christian Evans to vent about the dispute, and he allegedly responded, “If I were you, I would have killed her.”
Later that night, Christian and Dajameous stopped by the home, but Bryanna had chores and couldn’t leave. About 15 minutes later, Bryanna said she heard a gunshot.
The men, according to the affidavit, shot Tamela in the face while she was on the couch in the living room. When Tamela’s husband rushed to help his wife, the men fired a second round at him, but missed, before fleeing. It’s unclear from court documents which man fired the gun.
Tamela’s husband called 911, and she was rushed to a hospital, where she died.
Bryanna initially told police she couldn’t think of anyone who would be angry enough to shoot her parents, according to the affidavit, though she pointed to a friend of Tamela’s who owed her money.
She also told investigators that she did not see the shooter and denied any involvement in the murder.
However, police wrote in a probable cause affidavit, “It is believed that Bryanna repeatedly lied to law enforcement about her knowledge of the circumstances involving this incident, which delayed identifying leads and suspects.”
Police later tracked down the men at Christian’s apartment, where they spotted him outside tossing a white garbage bag—which contained part of a gun holster and two pairs of black pants—into a dumpster.
When the men got into Christian’s car, authorities blocked their path and placed both under arrest.
They declined to speak to investigators, according to the affidavit, though Christian said he was “sorry for what he did.”
Christian’s father later told detectives that his son had sent him a text saying that he “f–ked up.” He also shared data from his Life360 app that showed Christian’s movement near Tamela’s home around the time of the shooting.
Meanwhile, Bryanna’s phone records revealed deleted text messages—which the affidavit noted were not in any particular order—from Christian that read “Once they both pass away” and “Also I believe you should also get a gun.”
The doc noted Bryanna wrote Christian, “Alr shes living room he’s basement where you’re here Imk” while Christian’s replies read, “Were getting ready,” “Getting gloves” and “Take them both out at the same time.”
The affidavit pointed to tension between Bryanna’s family and Christian.
According to Bryanna, her parents were “very racist” and did not know that Christian, who is Black, was her boyfriend.
She added that if her parents discovered the relationship, they would have kicked her out of the house. Nevertheless, she told police, Christian “was okay with her parents being racist” and denied that he was involved in the shootings.
