Boone County Prosecutor Reacts After Attempted Murder Suspect Released

BOONE COUNTY, Ind. — The Boone County Prosecutor released a statement criticizing the decision to allow a man accused of attempted murder and several other violent felonies to be released into the custody of a relative.

The case centers on Roy Matthew Lee, who was detained on May 20 in Boone County following a SWAT standoff that ended in his arrest. Following the incident, he was charged with the following:

• Attempted Murder (Level 1 Felony)
• Criminal Confinement (Level 3 Felony)
• Criminal Confinement (Level 5 Felony)
• Domestic Battery Resulting in Moderate Bodily Injury (Level 6 Felony)
• Intimidation (Level 6 Felony)
• Strangulation (Level 6 Felony)

Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood said in a release on Monday that Senior Judge John Baker ordered that Lee be released on his own recognizance and into the custody of a relative. Judge Baker also ruled that the terms of his release would be “subject to specific supervisory conditions.”

“The Boone County Prosecutor’s Office respects the role of the judiciary and the importance of judicial independence within our criminal justice system,” said Eastwood. “However, we strongly and respectfully disagree with the Court’s decision in this case.”

Eastwood said the State requested a “significant monetary bond” be handed down in an effort to keep Lee in custody to “ensure public safety.” While Eastwood acknowledged that the court placed other restrictions on Lee, including that he is to remain under supervision and his movement would be limited, he said these do not “sufficiently mitigate the risks that were identified.”

“Placing a family member in the position of supervising a defendant charged with such serious and violent offenses creates significant concern,” said Eastwood. “It is not appropriate to place that level of responsibility on a private individual who is not trained or equipped to ensure compliance with court-ordered conditions or to effectively manage the risks presented.”

According to the order, Lee must remain with his relative at all times and will not be permitted to leave his apartment unless he is attending healthcare appointments, court matters, worship or to visit his elderly grandfather in Kokomo.

‘I’m going to baptize you so you can see Jesus’: Court docs detail attempted murder FOX59/CBS4 obtained court documents that shed new light on the incident that led to Lee’s arrest. Officers with the Lebanon Police Department were dispatched to the 700 block of Maple Drive in response to a reported battery. As police were en route, they heard that Lee had allegedly assaulted a woman and that he was cutting himself with a knife.

An officer noted upon his arrival that Lee was standing outside and appeared to have sustained multiple cuts on his right leg and along his shin. As police made their way into the apartment, they reported observing “reddish stains” on the kitchen floor. They also determined that the bathtub was roughly half full of water and more blood was in the entrance to one of the bedrooms.

Police returned to the woman to learn more about what had allegedly occurred before their arrival. She told them that she and Lee had visited the apartment’s admin building earlier in the day to sign an updated lease. She explained that she had been living with Lee to assist him as he was struggling with “sundowning dementia.”

She said she refused Lee’s request to sign the lease with him, which would have made her a tenant. After she explained that she didn’t think it was a good idea, Lee became “very upset,” and the two began to argue before he “snapped.”

She told police that Lee allegedly grabbed her hair and dragged her into the bathroom. He then began to fill the bathtub up with water before he shoved her face into the bathtub, court documents said.

The woman eventually managed to get up after she said Lee let her go and exited the bathroom. She said her knee hurt and scratches were visible on her neck.

The woman explained that this was not the first instance where Lee allegedly attempted to kill her. She said Lee previously tried to drown her and recalled overhearing him say, “I’m going to baptize you so you can see Jesus.” She added that she was able to successfully talk him out of it during previous times.

She said that, when she attempted to leave the bathroom, Lee shoved her face, placed one hand over her mouth and pinched her nose with his other hand before pushing her back into the bathroom.

During this time, he allegedly told the victim that she had to be quiet to avoid having the neighbors complain. He then allegedly shoved her back underwater until she began to cough. She said he then let her leave the bathroom and return to the bedroom.

Once they were in the bedroom, she stated that she tried to find a table to hide from Lee but that he returned too quickly. When he did return, she observed him with a knife in his hand as he began to approach her.

At this time, she recalled believing that she was about to be stabbed and told police that she hunched over in preparation. Instead, Lee reportedly grabbed her by the hair and forced her to look at him.

She said Lee told her that, if she was going to leave him, she would have to watch as he killed himself. She said he then placed the knife up to his left arm and “acted like he was cutting it.”

Every time she tried to look away, he allegedly grabbed her hair and forced her to watch. She said he began “slashing” his legs as blood began to appear on the bedroom floor.

During the incident, the victim’s phone rang and Lee answered it. The caller later told police that she heard screaming in the background before Lee hung up the phone, prompting her to call 911.

Once he learned that the police were called, Lee reportedly said, “F***, I’m going to jail.” He then allegedly threatened to kill the woman if she decided to press charges or tell anyone what had happened, court documents revealed.

He then forced her to exit the apartment as the two of them entered his vehicle. The individual who had called for the police to arrive pulled into the parking lot at this time. They prevented Lee from leaving after boxing them in.

The caller then began banging on the window and yelling at Lee to unlock the doors. He finally did so and the victim safely exited his vehicle.

Lee’s account

Police then met and spoke with Lee to learn about his version of the events. He explained that he got into an argument with the victim, claiming that she was jealous of him for speaking with another female on Facebook.

He then claimed that the woman scratched him, causing him to bleed. He did admit to going to the kitchen to grab a knife and that he began to cut himself “to make a point.” He denied ever threatening to kill himself and that he didn’t have any intentions to hurt the woman.

Next steps

Online court records indicate that Lee is scheduled to appear back in court on Sept. 8 for the start of his jury trial.