Man accused of killing ex-girlfriend while she filmed video in Indiana apartment expected to plead guilty
Joshua Thompson, 25, faces a murder charge in the killing of 25-year-old Kaitlynn Lee. Prosecutors also charged him with criminal recklessness for shooting into a building, unlawfully carrying a gun, and invasion of privacy for allegedly violating a protective order tied to domestic or family violence or harassment.
Thompson initially pleaded not guilty, but court records show he has asked for a change-of-plea hearing later this month. The hearing is scheduled for May 28.
As Law&Crime previously reported, authorities said Lee had warned a friend who witnessed the shooting that if she “was ever found dead,” Thompson would be the one who “killed her,” according to a probable cause affidavit. Lee had also obtained a protective order against Thompson following an April 2024 incident.
Around 5 a.m. on Aug. 10, 2024, investigators said Thompson violated that order when he went to a home on Village Drive in New Albany, Indiana, where Lee was staying with a friend. The apartment belonged to the friend, and children were reportedly inside at the time, according to Louisville, Kentucky, Fox affiliate WDRB.
Authorities said Lee and her friend were “laughing, dancing and lip-syncing to a song” while recording a TikTok video when Thompson allegedly stood outside a window of the residence. Investigators said Lee noticed him and asked, “What are you doing here?” before he allegedly opened fire. Smoke could then be seen entering the frame of the video.
“At one point, they [Lee and her friend] both stop turn away from the camera’s eye, and ominously look toward the back kitchen window,” the affidavit states. “A second later, a blast from the area of the window is seen, and Kaitlynn’s head is forced to the right side of her body. Kaitlynn’s body falls from its position and out of view. Smoke can be seen hanging in the room, and the video shuts off.”
Authorities said Thompson called 911 on himself after the shooting and admitted he “shot the mother of his child” after going to the apartment to find out whether she was with other men. The affidavit also provided additional details about Thompson’s alleged confession and described what investigators called a “toxic relationship” in which he and Lee were “always at odds with each other.”
“I interviewed Joshua Thompson, who admitted to driving to [Lee’s friend’s] apartment and watching from the outside to see who was there,” the court documents state. “Joshua told me he wanted to see if Kaitlynn had any other males in the apartment with her.”
“Joshua explained that he could see Kaitlynn dancing and performing for the video she and [the friend] were recording,” the affidavit continued.
An obituary for Lee stated that she was survived by her three children, her mother, a brother, and other extended family members.
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