A man is facing a second-degree murder charge after a Tinder date allegedly escalated into a fatal shooting at a Wyoming home.
Drake Alexander Ingalls, 24, was arrested and charged in connection with the death of Jason Greene, 30, at Greene's Newcastle residence on August 9. According to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, police discovered Greene deceased on his living room floor with a significant pool of blood around him.
Ingalls reportedly drove approximately 90 miles from his South Dakota home to meet a woman he had been communicating with for several weeks after matching on the dating app Tinder. Their first in-person meeting began at a local hotel, but events took a turn when the woman received a text message from Greene, her former boyfriend, containing insulting language.
The woman told investigators that Greene had abused her in the past and instructed Ingalls to intervene if she screamed for help. She then asked Ingalls to drive her to Greene's home so she could confront him. Greene was reportedly unaware the pair were headed to his residence.
Upon arrival, Ingalls initially stayed outside as the woman approached Greene. A loud verbal argument ensued, which Ingalls reported hearing. He stated he heard the woman scream for help multiple times and proceeded toward the trailer, taking a handgun from his vehicle.
Accounts of the moments immediately preceding the shooting differ. The woman told investigators that Greene did not physically attack her and that Ingalls did not need to fire his weapon. However, Ingalls provided a different account to investigators, stating he observed Greene struggling with the woman near the doorway, appearing to drag her inside. Ingalls reported drawing his handgun and firing after demanding Greene release the woman.
Greene stumbled back into his trailer and collapsed. Responding officers confirmed Greene was deceased. The Newcastle Police Department requested the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation take over the case.
Ingalls' attorney, David Holmes, stated his client acted in defense of the woman, whom he had only just met. Holmes indicated an intent to plead not guilty and pursue a self-defense claim, emphasizing Ingalls' lack of prior knowledge of Greene and his clean criminal record. Ingalls remains in custody on a $250,000 bond and faces a potential sentence of 20 years to life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder.