Court docs: Drugs catalyst in 2013 death of Kokomo woman

Mar. 6—Just days after police made two arrests in connection with a decade-long cold case, new court documents reveal that illicit drugs were likely the catalyst for a home invasion that killed 21-year-old Kokomo resident Destiny Pittman.

Online court documents note that brothers Joey McCartney, 32, and Jesse McCartney, 36, are each facing charges of murder, burglary resulting in bodily injury and conspiracy to commit burglary resulting in bodily injury, all Class A felonies, as well as a Class B felony charge of burglary.

Jesse is also facing additional charges of robbery resulting in bodily injury, a Class A felony, possession of cocaine, a Level 6 felony, and a misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana, per court records.

Those same court records indicate an individual, whose name and identity were redacted from the probable cause affidavit, came forward in December 2022 and told investigators that they were with Jesse the night Pittman was killed, though they were "scared" to come forward in the past due to an "alleged history" with Jesse.

That individual, per court records, reportedly told police that Jesse asked them the night Pittman was killed — Feb. 7, 2013 — if they wanted to "run an errand with him," which the individual reportedly believed meant a drug deal.

The pair — Jesse and the individual — then reportedly left for Pittman's residence inside Jesse's white Jeep Cherokee, according to court records.

Once at Pittman's residence, Jesse reportedly told the individual to stay inside the vehicle, court records indicted, while Jesse proceeded to put on black leather gloves and grabbed a 9mm handgun.

Around this time, according to the individual's interview with police as highlighted in the affidavit, a man — later identified as Joey McCartney — joined Jesse at Pittman's front door before the pair entered the residence.

The individual said that moments later, while still inside Jesse's vehicle, they reportedly heard a "loud boom," followed by the brothers running out of the residence, per the affidavit.

When Jesse got back into his vehicle, he was also reportedly carrying a large "wad" of money, and the individual told investigators they then drove back to Jesse's residence, court records indicated.

They were eventually met by Joey, who the individuals told authorities appeared "on edge," at the time, per court documents.

Along with profiling what reportedly occurred outside of Pittman's residence the night she was killed, the newly released court documents into the McCartneys' arrests also appear to show what transpired inside too.

Throughout the course of the investigation, police conducted several separate interviews with Pittman's then-boyfriend and her roommate — who were both inside the residence at the time the incident occurred.

During his interviews with police, Pittman's boyfriend told investigators he was in the bedroom with Pittman when they heard a knock at the front door, followed by what sounded like the door being kicked in, the affidavit noted.

Pittman then left the bedroom and reportedly confronted the alleged intruders before suffering a single gunshot, according to the boyfriend's interviews with police.

It was a similar story when police also interviewed Pittman's roommate, per the affidavit, who told police she was lying in bed when she heard a knock at the front door of the residence.

She then heard what she described as the front door being kicked, Pittman's voice confronting the intruders and then a "loud boom," court documents allege.

The roommate then reportedly opened her bedroom door and heard what she described to police as a "gasping, gurgling" sound, followed by a man saying "where the f--- is it?" per court records.

Pittman's boyfriend later told investigators he believed the man's question was in relation to marijuana, which he stated Pittman and he both sold around the time the shooting occurred, though it's still unclear whether Pittman knew the McCartneys.

The brothers are being held without bond for their alleged connection to the case.

Jesse McCartney has an initial hearing at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, while Joey McCartney's initial hearing is slated for 12:30 p.m. Friday.

Both of those hearings will be held in front of the Howard County magistrate.