In a disturbing turn of events, an Ohio man has been charged with murder over a month after the suspicious death of his 18-year-old girlfriend. The young woman, Haiden Babiuch, was reportedly found dead from a gunshot wound on December 6, just a few days following her boyfriend’s release from jail.

Ezekiel Ananias James, aged 20, had recently completed a sentence for several charges, including carrying a concealed weapon, tampering with evidence, and unlawful possession of dangerous ordnance, as reported by WTVG. Following Babiuch’s death, James claimed she had taken her own life, allegedly due to fears he might leave her after she had been unfaithful during his incarceration.

James admitted to authorities that he had brought the gun into their shared home but expressed uncertainty about how Babiuch might have discovered it. Initially, he was not held in custody as investigations continued to unfold.

However, the narrative shifted when the medical examiner ruled Babiuch’s death a homicide rather than a suicide. As a result, James now faces serious charges, including one count of aggravated murder, two counts of murder, and one count of felonious assault, after his indictment on Tuesday.

The medical examiner, however, later determined that Babiuch’s death was a homicide and not a suicide, and James was indicted on Tuesday on one count of aggravated murder, two counts of murder, and one count of felonious assault.