Authorities say James Richard Chelf II told a neighbor he had shot his wife before officers found Sandra Sue Chelf dead inside.
YODER, Ind. — A neighbor’s late-night 911 call led police to a Woodlake Estates mobile home, where investigators say a 79-year-old man reported his wife was dead inside and later admitted shooting her.
The May 22 call began the criminal case against James Richard Chelf II, who is charged with murder in the death of 77-year-old Sandra Sue Chelf. The case drew attention because of what police say happened before officers ever entered the home: Chelf allegedly walked to a neighbor, said he had shot his wife and told her to call 911. Within minutes, deputies and state police were outside the couple’s residence in the 100 block of Woodlake Run.
According to court records described by local news organizations, the neighbor called police at about 10:15 p.m. and reported what Chelf had told her. The Allen County Sheriff’s Department said officers and Indiana State Police troopers were dispatched at about 10:08 p.m. on a report of a shooting inside a residence. The slight difference in reported times has not been publicly explained, but all accounts place the emergency response late Friday night. When officers arrived, Chelf was sitting or waiting outside his home. Police immediately placed him in handcuffs and asked whether anyone else was inside. He allegedly replied, “Just my dog and my dead wife.”
The neighbor’s role was important because authorities have not described a surviving witness inside the home. The call brought officers to the scene before Sandra Chelf’s name was publicly known and before the sheriff’s department had issued its first statement. Once inside, officers found an adult woman with gunshot wounds. Medics pronounced her dead at the scene. The coroner later identified her as Sandra Sue Chelf and said she had been found unresponsive on the bedroom floor. Her death was ruled a homicide after an autopsy. The coroner listed the cause as multiple gunshot wounds and said the next of kin had been notified.
Police then shifted from the emergency response to the collection of evidence. Reports based on court documents say a .38 Special Smith & Wesson revolver was recovered from the dining room table. The gun allegedly contained three spent casings, two live rounds and one empty chamber. That detail gave investigators a physical record to compare with the wounds, shell casings and any forensic findings from the scene. Authorities have not released full ballistic test results or a complete crime scene report. They also have not said whether any security cameras, doorbell cameras or nearby home cameras captured Chelf walking to the neighbor’s residence or officers arriving at the scene.
During questioning, Chelf allegedly gave statements that became central to the probable cause account. Court records cited by local outlets say he told officers he and his wife had been arguing but said he did not remember what the argument was about. “I just lost my mind,” he allegedly said. He also allegedly told police, “I just went nuts,” and “I have no reason why.” The statements, if admitted in court, could be used by prosecutors to show his account of the shooting and his state of mind. Defense attorneys often challenge how statements were gathered, whether Miranda warnings were given and whether a defendant understood the questioning, but no such challenge has been reported in this case.
The Allen County Sheriff’s Department first described the person taken into custody only as an adult male. In a May 23 update, the department identified him as James Richard Chelf II, 79, of Yoder. The department said he had been transported to the Allen County Jail on a preliminary charge of murder after an interview with investigators. The formal murder charge came later, with reports showing an initial hearing in Allen Superior Court 6 on Wednesday. Chelf was being held without bond. That detention status kept him in jail as the case moved from police investigation to court proceedings.
Sandra Chelf’s death added to a grim yearly count for Fort Wayne and Allen County. The coroner’s office said she was the 13th homicide recorded in the county in 2026. The shooting happened in Yoder, a small community southwest of Fort Wayne, at a mobile home park near Indianapolis Road and the Fort Wayne International Airport area. The setting placed the case in a residential community where the first outside alarm came not from a patrol officer or a passerby, but from a nearby resident who had contact with the accused man after the shooting. Officials have not released a neighborhood safety warning or suggested that another suspect was being sought.
Several facts remain unanswered in public records and news accounts. Authorities have not disclosed a motive beyond the reported argument. They have not said how long the couple had lived at the mobile home park, whether the gun was legally owned, how many shots were fired in total or whether the dog mentioned by Chelf was removed from the home. They also have not released any statement from Sandra Chelf’s relatives. Those gaps may be addressed later through court filings, police testimony or hearings. For now, the public case rests on the 911 call, officers’ discovery of Sandra Chelf, the recovered revolver and Chelf’s alleged statements.
The coming court process is expected to test each part of that account. Prosecutors will have to prove the murder charge beyond a reasonable doubt. Defense counsel will have the chance to question the investigation, the handling of evidence and the meaning of any statement attributed to Chelf. Future hearings may set deadlines for evidence exchange, motions and trial scheduling. Investigators may continue to review forensic reports, medical findings and any background evidence that could explain the moments before the shooting. No trial date was included in the latest public reports.
James Richard Chelf II remains jailed, and the homicide investigation remains open with Allen County police, prosecutors and the coroner. The next public movement in the case is expected through Allen Superior Court 6 as the murder charge advances.
Author note: Last updated Monday, June 22, 2026.