Distraught over a failed engagement, he arrived at her home armed and sexually assaulted her, authorities said.
A man was distraught over a broken engagement when he arrived at his ex-fiancee's home with weapons, zip ties and duct tape, and sexually attacked the woman before asking her to kill him, according to newly released details of the investigation into his death.
Authorities arrived at the Allamuchy Township home early March 19 and found that 24-year-old Gage Theard was dead, having been shot twice.
The shooting was justified, the Warren County Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday in a news release that for the first time details what led to the deadly encounter.
Authorities say the woman provided statements to New Jersey State Police, who conducted the investigation with the prosecutor's office. A county grand jury on Aug. 17 determined the use of deadly force was justified, according to the proseuctor.
Theard's listed residence was in Milton, Fla., where the ensign was attending U.S. Navy flight school. In March, his fiancee -- who is not being identified by lehighvalleylive.com because she is a sexual assault victim -- broke off their engagement.
Shooting victim was U.S. Navy officer
Theard tried but failed numerous times to rekindle the relationship, and on March 17 began heading north from Florida, the prosecutor's office said. On the way, he tried to set up a meeting with the woman, who declined after some discussion.
Theard stopped in Winchester, Va., where he purchased zip ties and duct tape, authorities said. After another failed plea for another chance, he continued to the Panther Valley section of Allamuchy, parked outside the gated community and walked to the woman's home.
He had a 9 mm handgun, extra ammunition, two knives and the ties and tape when he rang her doorbell at 10:30 p.m. March 19. He forced his way in when she answered the door. She locked herself in her bedroom, but Theard broke through the door and sexually assaulted her, the news release says.
When the woman tried to escape, investigators say he grabbed her, put a knife to her neck and threatened to kill her if she tried anything again. Theard tied the woman to a chair and "becoming more and more unstable ... began to speak to her about death and suicide for hours," eventually coming to the realization that he had committed crimes.
"Faced with what he had done," the release says, "he told (the woman) that he would have to die as there was no way out of the situation for him. (She) asked Mr. Theard if she was going to live to which he replied 'he did not know.'"
The woman asked Theard to leave, but he instead demonstrated how to use the gun and handed it to her, telling her to shoot him in the head, investigators said. She refused, and Theard told her that if she didn't do as he asked that he would shoot her and kill himself.
"In an attempt to escape the situation with her life, but not wanting to kill Mr. Theard, (the woman) stated that she shot him once" in the back shoulder, the release says. Theard stood and yelled as he turned toward her. She fired again, hitting him the shoulder. She ran from the home and called 911.
Theard was found on the second floor landing, already dead from the gunshot wounds.
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.