Case remains open
Washington County – Sunday, December 31, 2023: At approximately 8:50 a.m. Sunday, the Washington County Sheriff’s Department requested the assistance of Indiana State Police Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators after a 911 caller reported a woman had been shot. The caller advised the incident occurred at the victim’s residence in the 6000 block of Mt. Carmel Road in Fredericksburg. When officers and detectives arrived on the scene, they found the victim was deceased from an apparent gunshot wound.
Dr. Bill Ralston, a medical examiner, conducted an autopsy in Washington County on Tuesday, January 2, 2024. The autopsy listed the cause of death as a gunshot.
At this time, and as a result of the preliminary investigation, detectives believe the shooting was the result of an accidental discharge; however, the case remains open, and detectives are continuing the investigation.
The deceased female has been identified as 32-year-old Heather D. Lawson of Fredericksburg, Indiana. The family of the deceased has been notified.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Department, the Washington County Coroner’s Office, and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Department assisted in the investigation.
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