A Portland Woman Planned To Kill The Father Of Her Daughter

PORTLAND, Ind. — A Portland woman said she was angry that the father of her daughter wanted to change the custody rights and the girl’s last name, so she thought up a plan to kill him.

Esther Stephen, 31, and Shelby Hiestand, 18, were arrested on Tuesday for the murder of Shea Briar, and charged on Wednesday, said the Muncie Star Press. 

When Stephen and Hiestand were interviewed by Jay County sheriff’s investigators they admitted to planing to murder Briar. 

The two women left Stephen’s daughter with a friend and asked Briar to hang out. 

Police said Stephen picked up a rifle from Hiestand’s home, before picking up Briar at his home. They drove to a bridge along Jay County Road 125-W, and as Briar and Stephen were walking away from the car, Hiestand shot Briar in the back. 

Briar was found seriously injured on Sunday. He was taken to Adams Memorial Hospital and then transferred to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, where he died. 

An autopsy showed that the bullet hit Briar’s heart.

Stephen and Hiestand are in the Jay County Jail and have been placed on administrative leave at Fort Recovery High School in Ohio, where they were a coach and assistant coach for softball.