Topline: Investigators say a concerned friend called Kimberly Stewart’s phone and followed the ringtone to her body in the backyard of her Indianapolis home.
Published: March 15, 2026 8:00 am ET
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Travis Wolfe, left, and Kimberly Stewart (Photos via Indianapolis Metropolitan Police / family handout)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — A man has been arrested in connection with the killing of a 51-year-old woman found dead in the backyard of her Indianapolis home after what investigators say was the latest in a series of arguments between the woman and her boyfriend.
Detectives with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department arrested 45-year-old Travis Wolfe on a preliminary murder charge in the death of Kimberly Stewart, according to police and court records.
Officers were called to Stewart’s home in the 1300 block of South Lynhurst Drive, near Rockville Road and Interstate 465, shortly after 11 p.m. Tuesday, where they found her unresponsive in the backyard, according reporting by WTHR. Wayne Township medics pronounced Stewart dead at the scene.
Investigators observed that Stewart had suffered head trauma, and an autopsy later determined she died from multiple blunt force trauma injuries, according to court documents and reporting by WIBC. A forensic pathologist said the injuries could be consistent with a dull ax or the blunt side of an ax. Her death was ruled a homicide.
Police were first alerted to the situation by a friend who had known Stewart for about a decade, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by FOX59. The friend told investigators Stewart often bought cars at auction, repaired them and resold them.
The friend had planned to pick up a car title from Stewart Tuesday afternoon after the pair recently sold a vehicle together, according to the affidavit. When he arrived at her home around 4:30 p.m., Stewart was not there, her blue Dodge Nitro was missing and his text messages went unanswered.
Because Stewart worked the late shift at a UPS distribution facility and often slept during the day, the friend initially thought little of the silence, according to investigators.
Later that evening, he texted again around 10:15 p.m. to say he would stop by. When he returned around 10:52 p.m., he noticed Stewart’s dog outside, something he found unusual because the dog typically stayed indoors.
According to the affidavit, he walked through a gate and discovered the back door unlocked, another detail that raised concern. The dog was “going crazy” and ran toward the garage where Wolfe lived, the friend told detectives.
The friend also realized Wolfe was gone, which he described as unusual because “Travis doesn’t leave here ever,” according to the affidavit.
When the friend called Stewart’s phone, he followed the ringtone to her body lying between a wooden fence and an outdoor spa, according to court documents. He tried to wake her but noticed she was cool to the touch and stiff.
He took Stewart’s phone and left to call 911.
The friend told detectives Wolfe had been “threatening to kill people yesterday” and described him as a “psychopath maniac,” according to the affidavit. He said Wolfe frequently yelled at neighbors, believed people were “out to get him” and was often seen doing “crazy stuff” in the backyard while carrying an ax.
He also told investigators Wolfe used methamphetamine and that Wolfe and Stewart, whom he described as a couple, argued “all the time.”
The day before Stewart’s body was discovered, the friend said the pair had a heated argument about a water pump Wolfe had installed in a BMW that was still running hot, according to the affidavit.
Investigators noted that officers in IMPD’s Southwest District were already “familiar” with Wolfe, according to court documents.
During the investigation, detectives said they found what appeared to be blood on a concrete step and on a pair of bib overalls at the home.
Police later located Wolfe near East 19th Street and North Drexel Avenue on the city’s east side while he was driving a BMW registered to Stewart, according to investigators. Officers used a chemical process that can reveal traces of blood even if it has been cleaned or diluted and found suspected blood inside the vehicle, including in the passenger seat and floorboard, as well as on an ax recovered from the back seat, according to the affidavit.
During an interview with detectives, Wolfe said he left the Lynhurst Drive home after he and Stewart “got into it,” according to court documents. He told investigators he initially took Stewart’s Dodge Nitro but returned after realizing it was running out of gas and then took the BMW instead.
Wolfe denied hitting Stewart with the ax and told detectives he had owned the ax for a long time. He also said there should not be any blood on it and claimed he had not used any cleaners on the tool, according to investigators.
Another witness later provided a key account to detectives, according to the affidavit. The witness said he was loading a vehicle in his driveway around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday when he heard a woman yell. He then saw a man on the ground holding what appeared to be a “club or hammer” and swinging toward the ground.
The witness later identified the man as Wolfe and told investigators he heard him repeatedly yelling at a dog “to shut up.”
“The witness specifically noted that the male was between the spa and the wooden fence,” the affidavit states. “This is the same place where police found Kimberly Stewart’s body.”
Based on witness statements and evidence collected at the scene, Wolfe was arrested on a preliminary murder charge, police said. He also had an outstanding warrant in a separate case involving unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.
According to IMPD, the suspect was initially taken into custody with assistance from the department’s SWAT team several hours after Stewart’s body was discovered.
IMPD Deputy Chief Kendale Adams credited both investigators and community members for helping move the case forward.
“Thanks to the relentless work of our detectives and the courage of the community, a dangerous individual is in custody today,” Adams said in a statement reported by WTHR. “One of our detectives worked several hours straight to ensure this case came together quickly and thoroughly. Just as important, community members provided key information that helped secure the murder charge. … Let this serve as a reminder: If you commit violence in our city, we will pursue every lead and work with our community until you are held accountable. This is exactly what public safety looks like when police and the community work together.”
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will make the final decision on formal charges against Wolfe. Police are asking anyone with information about the case to contact Detective Michal Dinnsen with the IMPD Homicide Office.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Witness Says He Saw Man Swinging Weapon Before Woman Found Dead in Backyard
Investigators say a concerned friend called Kimberly Stewart’s phone and followed the ringtone to her body in the backyard of her Indianapolis home.
By Jacob Charles
Published: March 15, 2026 8:00 am ET
Travis Wolfe, left, and Kimberly Stewart (Photos via Indianapolis Metropolitan Police / family handout)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — A man has been arrested in connection with the killing of a 51-year-old woman found dead in the backyard of her Indianapolis home after what investigators say was the latest in a series of arguments between the woman and her boyfriend.
Detectives with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department arrested 45-year-old Travis Wolfe on a preliminary murder charge in the death of Kimberly Stewart, according to police and court records.
Officers were called to Stewart’s home in the 1300 block of South Lynhurst Drive, near Rockville Road and Interstate 465, shortly after 11 p.m. Tuesday, where they found her unresponsive in the backyard, according reporting by WTHR. Wayne Township medics pronounced Stewart dead at the scene.
Investigators observed that Stewart had suffered head trauma, and an autopsy later determined she died from multiple blunt force trauma injuries, according to court documents and reporting by WIBC. A forensic pathologist said the injuries could be consistent with a dull ax or the blunt side of an ax. Her death was ruled a homicide.
Police were first alerted to the situation by a friend who had known Stewart for about a decade, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by FOX59. The friend told investigators Stewart often bought cars at auction, repaired them and resold them.
The friend had planned to pick up a car title from Stewart Tuesday afternoon after the pair recently sold a vehicle together, according to the affidavit. When he arrived at her home around 4:30 p.m., Stewart was not there, her blue Dodge Nitro was missing and his text messages went unanswered.
Because Stewart worked the late shift at a UPS distribution facility and often slept during the day, the friend initially thought little of the silence, according to investigators.
Later that evening, he texted again around 10:15 p.m. to say he would stop by. When he returned around 10:52 p.m., he noticed Stewart’s dog outside, something he found unusual because the dog typically stayed indoors.
According to the affidavit, he walked through a gate and discovered the back door unlocked, another detail that raised concern. The dog was “going crazy” and ran toward the garage where Wolfe lived, the friend told detectives.
The friend also realized Wolfe was gone, which he described as unusual because “Travis doesn’t leave here ever,” according to the affidavit.
When the friend called Stewart’s phone, he followed the ringtone to her body lying between a wooden fence and an outdoor spa, according to court documents. He tried to wake her but noticed she was cool to the touch and stiff.
He took Stewart’s phone and left to call 911.
The friend told detectives Wolfe had been “threatening to kill people yesterday” and described him as a “psychopath maniac,” according to the affidavit. He said Wolfe frequently yelled at neighbors, believed people were “out to get him” and was often seen doing “crazy stuff” in the backyard while carrying an ax.
He also told investigators Wolfe used methamphetamine and that Wolfe and Stewart, whom he described as a couple, argued “all the time.”
The day before Stewart’s body was discovered, the friend said the pair had a heated argument about a water pump Wolfe had installed in a BMW that was still running hot, according to the affidavit.
Investigators noted that officers in IMPD’s Southwest District were already “familiar” with Wolfe, according to court documents.
During the investigation, detectives said they found what appeared to be blood on a concrete step and on a pair of bib overalls at the home.
Police later located Wolfe near East 19th Street and North Drexel Avenue on the city’s east side while he was driving a BMW registered to Stewart, according to investigators. Officers used a chemical process that can reveal traces of blood even if it has been cleaned or diluted and found suspected blood inside the vehicle, including in the passenger seat and floorboard, as well as on an ax recovered from the back seat, according to the affidavit.
During an interview with detectives, Wolfe said he left the Lynhurst Drive home after he and Stewart “got into it,” according to court documents. He told investigators he initially took Stewart’s Dodge Nitro but returned after realizing it was running out of gas and then took the BMW instead.
Wolfe denied hitting Stewart with the ax and told detectives he had owned the ax for a long time. He also said there should not be any blood on it and claimed he had not used any cleaners on the tool, according to investigators.
Another witness later provided a key account to detectives, according to the affidavit. The witness said he was loading a vehicle in his driveway around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday when he heard a woman yell. He then saw a man on the ground holding what appeared to be a “club or hammer” and swinging toward the ground.
The witness later identified the man as Wolfe and told investigators he heard him repeatedly yelling at a dog “to shut up.”
“The witness specifically noted that the male was between the spa and the wooden fence,” the affidavit states. “This is the same place where police found Kimberly Stewart’s body.”
Based on witness statements and evidence collected at the scene, Wolfe was arrested on a preliminary murder charge, police said. He also had an outstanding warrant in a separate case involving unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.
According to IMPD, the suspect was initially taken into custody with assistance from the department’s SWAT team several hours after Stewart’s body was discovered.
IMPD Deputy Chief Kendale Adams credited both investigators and community members for helping move the case forward.
“Thanks to the relentless work of our detectives and the courage of the community, a dangerous individual is in custody today,” Adams said in a statement reported by WTHR. “One of our detectives worked several hours straight to ensure this case came together quickly and thoroughly. Just as important, community members provided key information that helped secure the murder charge. … Let this serve as a reminder: If you commit violence in our city, we will pursue every lead and work with our community until you are held accountable. This is exactly what public safety looks like when police and the community work together.”
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will make the final decision on formal charges against Wolfe. Police are asking anyone with information about the case to contact Detective Michal Dinnsen with the IMPD Homicide Office.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Witness Says He Saw Man Swinging Weapon Before Woman Found Dead in Backyard
Investigators say a concerned friend called Kimberly Stewart’s phone and followed the ringtone to her body in the backyard of her Indianapolis home.
By Jacob Charles
Published: March 15, 2026 8:00 am ET
Travis Wolfe, left, and Kimberly Stewart (Photos via Indianapolis Metropolitan Police / family handout)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — A man has been arrested in connection with the killing of a 51-year-old woman found dead in the backyard of her Indianapolis home after what investigators say was the latest in a series of arguments between the woman and her boyfriend.
Detectives with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department arrested 45-year-old Travis Wolfe on a preliminary murder charge in the death of Kimberly Stewart, according to police and court records.
Officers were called to Stewart’s home in the 1300 block of South Lynhurst Drive, near Rockville Road and Interstate 465, shortly after 11 p.m. Tuesday, where they found her unresponsive in the backyard, according reporting by WTHR. Wayne Township medics pronounced Stewart dead at the scene.
Investigators observed that Stewart had suffered head trauma, and an autopsy later determined she died from multiple blunt force trauma injuries, according to court documents and reporting by WIBC. A forensic pathologist said the injuries could be consistent with a dull ax or the blunt side of an ax. Her death was ruled a homicide.
Police were first alerted to the situation by a friend who had known Stewart for about a decade, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by FOX59. The friend told investigators Stewart often bought cars at auction, repaired them and resold them.
The friend had planned to pick up a car title from Stewart Tuesday afternoon after the pair recently sold a vehicle together, according to the affidavit. When he arrived at her home around 4:30 p.m., Stewart was not there, her blue Dodge Nitro was missing and his text messages went unanswered.
Because Stewart worked the late shift at a UPS distribution facility and often slept during the day, the friend initially thought little of the silence, according to investigators.
Later that evening, he texted again around 10:15 p.m. to say he would stop by. When he returned around 10:52 p.m., he noticed Stewart’s dog outside, something he found unusual because the dog typically stayed indoors.
According to the affidavit, he walked through a gate and discovered the back door unlocked, another detail that raised concern. The dog was “going crazy” and ran toward the garage where Wolfe lived, the friend told detectives.
The friend also realized Wolfe was gone, which he described as unusual because “Travis doesn’t leave here ever,” according to the affidavit.
When the friend called Stewart’s phone, he followed the ringtone to her body lying between a wooden fence and an outdoor spa, according to court documents. He tried to wake her but noticed she was cool to the touch and stiff.
He took Stewart’s phone and left to call 911.
The friend told detectives Wolfe had been “threatening to kill people yesterday” and described him as a “psychopath maniac,” according to the affidavit. He said Wolfe frequently yelled at neighbors, believed people were “out to get him” and was often seen doing “crazy stuff” in the backyard while carrying an ax.
He also told investigators Wolfe used methamphetamine and that Wolfe and Stewart, whom he described as a couple, argued “all the time.”
The day before Stewart’s body was discovered, the friend said the pair had a heated argument about a water pump Wolfe had installed in a BMW that was still running hot, according to the affidavit.
Investigators noted that officers in IMPD’s Southwest District were already “familiar” with Wolfe, according to court documents.
During the investigation, detectives said they found what appeared to be blood on a concrete step and on a pair of bib overalls at the home.
Police later located Wolfe near East 19th Street and North Drexel Avenue on the city’s east side while he was driving a BMW registered to Stewart, according to investigators. Officers used a chemical process that can reveal traces of blood even if it has been cleaned or diluted and found suspected blood inside the vehicle, including in the passenger seat and floorboard, as well as on an ax recovered from the back seat, according to the affidavit.
During an interview with detectives, Wolfe said he left the Lynhurst Drive home after he and Stewart “got into it,” according to court documents. He told investigators he initially took Stewart’s Dodge Nitro but returned after realizing it was running out of gas and then took the BMW instead.
Wolfe denied hitting Stewart with the ax and told detectives he had owned the ax for a long time. He also said there should not be any blood on it and claimed he had not used any cleaners on the tool, according to investigators.
Another witness later provided a key account to detectives, according to the affidavit. The witness said he was loading a vehicle in his driveway around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday when he heard a woman yell. He then saw a man on the ground holding what appeared to be a “club or hammer” and swinging toward the ground.
The witness later identified the man as Wolfe and told investigators he heard him repeatedly yelling at a dog “to shut up.”
“The witness specifically noted that the male was between the spa and the wooden fence,” the affidavit states. “This is the same place where police found Kimberly Stewart’s body.”
Based on witness statements and evidence collected at the scene, Wolfe was arrested on a preliminary murder charge, police said. He also had an outstanding warrant in a separate case involving unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.
According to IMPD, the suspect was initially taken into custody with assistance from the department’s SWAT team several hours after Stewart’s body was discovered.
IMPD Deputy Chief Kendale Adams credited both investigators and community members for helping move the case forward.
“Thanks to the relentless work of our detectives and the courage of the community, a dangerous individual is in custody today,” Adams said in a statement reported by WTHR. “One of our detectives worked several hours straight to ensure this case came together quickly and thoroughly. Just as important, community members provided key information that helped secure the murder charge. … Let this serve as a reminder: If you commit violence in our city, we will pursue every lead and work with our community until you are held accountable. This is exactly what public safety looks like when police and the community work together.”
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will make the final decision on formal charges against Wolfe. Police are asking anyone with information about the case to contact Detective Michal Dinnsen with the IMPD Homicide Office.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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