INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man now faces a murder charge in the death of his girlfriend in their home.
Jomal Tyler was originally charged with reckless homicide for the Jan. 6 shooting of Britney Long.
He'd bonded out of jail on a $2,000 cash bond. Now, Tyler is charged with murder, and he's back in jail, being held without bond.
Prosecutors say the upgraded charge came because of new evidence and interviews through the investigation.
It's been a painful month for Long's family. Police say the 27-year-old mother of four was shot in the head by her boyfriend.
She died days later in the hospital after donating her organs.
"There's just a void in my life," said Long's father, Derrick Jackson. "Like 2 1/2 weeks later, I'm still going through these fits where everything's good, and then I'll cry for no reason. Britney loved Jomal. But he was abusive – abusive to the point where he took her from family."
Long's family expressed frustration at the initial criminal recklessness charge against Tyler. They were concerned the charge and the bond didn't fit the gravity of the crime.
But on the same day they laid Long to rest, Jan. 19, police arrested Tyler on a warrant for murder. Court records show the criminal recklessness charge has been dismissed.
Tyler is now charged with murder.
"My phone started popping off," Jackson said. "They were saying, 'They arrested him! They arrested him!'"
Prosecutors say additional interviews, forensics, a firearms report and the autopsy show Long's death was a homicide.
The night of the shooting at their home on Euclid Avenue, Tyler is the one who called 911.
He told dispatchers he was "going to prison." He then told police the gun went off accidentally and shot Long, as he heard a commotion and jumped out of bed.
Tyler admitted using cocaine and drinking alcohol before the shooting.
But new court documents detail some discrepancies.
The documents say during interviews with detectives, Tyler said he grabbed the gun in his right hand, although he's left-handed and drew diagrams and signed documents with his left hand.
Investigators are also citing the trajectory of the bullet into the mattress and the nature of Long's wounds as reasons for the murder charge.
Prosecutors also say cellphone records show the couple, who had an open case of domestic violence with DCS, fought prior to the shooting. Interviews with Long's children, according to court documents, confirmed the violent relationship.
"I applaud the state of Indiana. I applaud the DA. I applaud the investigators for taking time out to look past the, 'Man I was sleeping. I reached up under the pillow and then this might have happened,'" Jackson said.
Long's family is now hoping for justice.
"I want him to pay for his crime," Jackson said. "I forgive him, but he needs to pay for his crime."
They're also sharing a message about volatile relationships and the danger of domestic violence.
"What I want to tell people about domestic violence is don't look for red flags! At the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, when the red flag comes out, that's a stop. 'Stop it, we had an accident.' But when the yellow flag comes out, that's a caution," Jackson said. "I think young men and women should look at those caution flags. What was the ex treated like? How did he treat his momma? How'd he treat the kids? This young man was on cocaine! Yellow flag. He pulls you away from your family, another yellow flag!"
A jury trial for Tyler is tentatively set for May 13.