Ind. man allegedly beat and fatally shot his wife weeks after she gave birth

INDIANAPOLIS (TCD) -- A 25-year-old man was taken into custody on suspicion of killing his 26-year-old wife, who reportedly recently gave birth and was looking into getting a divorce.

Indianapolis Police said in a statement that on Saturday, June 1, at around 7:20 a.m., Indianapolis Police Department officers responded to a home on Armory Lane after receiving a call about a person shot. When they arrived, they found an adult female victim deceased from an apparent gunshot wound. Officers reportedly found a firearm in the house and arrested the victim’s husband, Robert Cooley, on suspicion of murder.

The probable cause affidavit cited by WXIN-TV reports the victim, Amber Cooley, had also been badly beaten and her throat was slashed. Robert Cooley allegedly FaceTimed his brother before police showed up and said, "I just killed Amber, bro."

When officers got there, he reportedly said, "I took my wife’s life," and "I did something bad. I need to go to jail."

Amber Cooley’s mother told WXIN her daughter asked her the night before she was killed to help her get paperwork together to "help her get out of the situation" and end her marriage.

Amber Cooley gave birth about a month ago to a girl, and she reportedly called motherhood the "greatest job I have on earth."

The Indianapolis Star reports Amber and Robert Cooley argued on Friday, which made him "very upset." The couple was known to have had "ongoing domestic issues."

Amber Cooley taught kindergarten at Victory College Prep. The school said in a statement that her "warm smile, nurturing spirit and caring heart set the best examples for our youngest and most impressionable students at Victory College Prep."

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