Left: Joshua Thompson (Floyd County Jail). Right: Kaitlynn Lee (obituary).
A man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend as she was filming a video in the kitchen of an Indiana apartment is expected to admit to having done so.
Joshua Thompson, 25, is charged with murder in the death of 25-year-old Kaitlynn Lee. He also faces charges of criminal recklessness by shooting into a building, unlawfully carrying a gun, and invasion of privacy by violating a protective order meant to prevent domestic or family violence or harassment.
The defendant originally pleaded not guilty, but court records show he has requested a change of plea hearing for later this month. That hearing will take place on May 28.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Lee had told a friend of hers who witnessed the shooting that if she "was ever found dead," it would have been Thompson who "killed her," authorities said in a probable cause affidavit. The victim had a protective order in place against Thompson after an April 2024 incident.
At about 5 a.m. on Aug. 10, 2024, Thompson reportedly broke that order when he went to a home on Village Drive in New Albany, Indiana, where Lee was with a friend. It was the friend's apartment, and children were present, Louisville, Kentucky, Fox affiliate WDRB reported.
Lee and her friend were "laughing, dancing and lip-syncing to a song" in a TikTok video as Thompson stood outside a window to the residence, authorities said. Lee apparently saw him and said, "What are you doing here?" when the defendant allegedly opened fire. Smoke then entered the frame of the footage.
"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 reads. "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."
Thompson allegedly called 911 on himself after the shooting and admitted that he "shot the mother of his child" after going to the apartment to see if she was with other men. The affidavit revealed more about both Thompson's alleged confession and a "toxic relationship" where 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 read. "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 said that she was survived by her three children, her mother, a brother, and other extended family members.