Indiana Judge Shot in Home; Investigation Underway

A judge from Indiana, Stephen Meyer, was shot and killed in his home by an unidentified assailant. This incident drew attention due to Meyer’s prior involvement in a notable case concerning Natalia Grace, a Ukrainian refugee alleged to have posed as a child.

Reports indicate that the shooter knocked on the door of Meyer’s home, where both he and his wife, Kimberly Meyer, were present around 2:15 p.m. on a Sunday. Following the knock, shots were fired through the door. The couple was injured, with Stephen shot in the arm and Kimberly in the lower back, but both have since been treated and are reportedly in stable condition.

Judge Meyer gained national recognition in 2022 while overseeing the trial of Natalia Grace’s adoptive parents, Michael and Christine Barnett. They had claimed that Grace, initially believed to be six years old at the time of adoption in April 2010, was actually an adult woman. After discovering what they described as alarming behavior over six months, the Barnetts alleged she was a fraud.

Grace, diagnosed with a form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, faced challenges regarding her true age—details obscured by a lost birth certificate due to flooding in Ukraine. The Barnetts accused her of various bizarre acts, including threatening behavior and attempts to poison Kimberly Meyer.

In the documentary “The Curious Case of Natalia Grace: Natalia Speaks Out,” Grace asserted that she was subjected to abuse during her time with the Barnetts, claiming she was pepper-sprayed repeatedly and over-medicated. This narrative presents a striking contrast to the Barnetts’ claims that she was dangerous.

Significantly, the Barnetts had successfully petitioned to change Grace’s birth year from 2003 to 1989, effectively labeling her as legally 22 years old. Following a trial, Michael Barnett was acquitted of neglect charges, while Christine’s charges were dropped later.

Despite the serious nature of the shooting, Grace is not currently regarded as a suspect in the incident. Local, state, and federal authorities are investigating, although no arrests have been made yet. There’s no detailed description of the shooter available at this time.

Kimberly Meyer expressed gratitude towards the law enforcement agencies involved in the investigation and remarked on the support received from the community.

Authorities are urging anyone with information related to the shooting to reach out to the Lafayette Police Department.