Man with shotgun kills neighbor he accused of stealing electricity, Indiana cops say

A man was found dead lying against his home after Indiana authorities say his neighbor shot him multiple times with a shotgun.

The neighbor, 29-year-old Cy E. Alley, faces a murder charge after the shooting, which he says he committed when he suspected Gary Copley was stealing his electricity.

Copley, 59, was found dead outside his Muncie home by Delaware County Sheriff’s Office deputies on Tuesday, Aug. 23, according to an affidavit. A 12-gauge shotgun shell, later determined to be from Alley’s weapon, was also located outside the home, deputies said.

A witness to the shooting said Alley shot Copley multiple times before driving home, court documents show. A second witness checked on Copley and found him dead, the affidavit states.

Alley was taken into custody by deputies, who found a shotgun shell in his pocket, according to the sheriff’s office.

“Cy said that he has been having trouble with his electricity at his house, and he assumed that (Copley) was hacking into his network,” deputies said.

When he confronted Copley about the electricity, Alley struck his neighbor with the shotgun before shooting him four times, he told deputies. The weapon used in the shooting was found in his pick-up truck, according to court documents.

Deputies said Alley “was not remorseful for his actions.” It’s unclear if authorities found evidence Copley was hacking a network.

Alley was charged on Aug. 24 with murder, which is punishable by 45-65 years in prison. He remained in the Delaware County jail as of Aug. 25.

Muncie is about 60 miles northeast of Indianapolis.

This story was originally published August 25, 2022 at 3:26 PM with the headline "Man with shotgun kills neighbor he accused of stealing electricity, Indiana cops say."