Harland Jesse Cummings, 36, was found dead at his Ames, Iowa home at 206 West Date Court on October 21, 2016, from a single, fatal gunshot wound to the head. Known as Jesse, he was a husband, father of two, and owner of a construction business. Those at the home initially described the shooting as an accident, but the Ames Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation later developed a different theory.

Investigators identified Jesse’s wife, Candace Cummings, as the primary suspect. Evidence presented in the investigation indicated he was shot while asleep in the home where their two children were also sleeping. Candace Cummings was arrested and charged with first-degree murder; at trial in June 2017 a jury convicted her of the lesser offense of voluntary manslaughter, exposing her to a sentence of up to ten years in prison.

If anyone knew Jesse or was in the neighborhood the morning of October 21, 2016, any information could help clarify what happened.