Authorities released more details Monday in regards to a weekend hostage incident east of St. Henry early Sunday morning that took the life of a Ferdinand man and left two women injured.
The Dubois County Sheriff’s Department says around 2:40 Sunday morning a woman called 911 about an intruder at the home of 37-year old Jeffery Perry along the 10-thousand block of South 50 West in St. Henry.
Police say 25-year old Kyle Popplewell of Ferdinand entered the residence through a back door while one woman was asleep in the master bedroom and the other was asleep as well in a second room. Meanwhile authorities say Perry at the time was sleeping on a ouch in the homes living room.
One of the women told authorities she awoke to the sounds of screams coming from the living room where she witnessed Popplewell on top of Perry.
Deputies say she hollered for the second woman to call 911 before attempting to to get Popplewell off of Perry.
Police allege that Popplewell then turned and swung at the woman resulting in a cut to her right breast area. The second woman also stated that she then tried to help the other when the male subject then turned his head around and that the intruder was indeed Popplewell.
Female 2 told investigators she tried to go back to her room to retrieve a phone when Popplewell entered her room. Meanwhile female 1 said she was in her room and said she noticed it was quiet so she went into the living room where Perry was on the couch.
While trying to roll Perry over she realized he was dead from multiple stab wounds. She said she hollered for female one when Popplewell yelled for her to stay back.
Police say female 2 went back into her room and was trying to close the door when Popplewell forced his way into the room, made her place a mattress in front of a window and also push a dresser in front of the door.
While she was being held in the bedroom, police say female 2 was raped several times while authorities outside were trying to negotiate with him and threatened to break her neck if she screamed.
Perry was pronounced dead at the scene of multiple stab wounds.
Police say Popplewell exited the home after an approximately 3 hour standoff and was taken into custody. He and the two females were taken to Memorial Hospital in Jasper for treatment.
Popplewell was then taken to and booked into the Dubois County Security Center on a Level 1 felony count of murder, two Level 1 Felony counts of rape and burglary, plus a Level 2 felony count of criminal confinement and a Level 5 felony count of battery causing serious bodily injury.
He made his initial appearance Monday answering to the charges n Dubois Circuit Court.
