UPDATE: Billups was sentenced to 50 years in prison and five years of probation on December 3.
TIPPECANOE COUNTY — A Lafayette woman was found guilty Friday afternoon for killing pizza delivery driver, Joshua Ungersma, 37, last summer, following a four-day trial that began on Tuesday, Oct. 26.
Jaelynn Niree Billups, 18, was convicted on all charges, including murder, armed robbery, theft, carrying a handgun without a license, and others.
The incident took place on Aug. 31, 2020, at around 11:14 p.m. when officers with Lafayette Police Department responded to a complaint of shots fired in the 1900 block of N. 16th Street in Lafayette.
When the officers arrived on the scene, they saw two people laying on the ground and a third person who appeared to be hovering over one of the victims, later identified as Billups. The officers discovered there were two males who were both deceased with apparent gunshot wounds.
One was laying in the street and was identified as Ungersma, who was working as a delivery driver for Domino's Pizza at the time of his death. The second male was laying by the fence in front of 1900 N. 16th Street, and a Domino's pizza box with two drinks and money was also found on the ground around him. He was identified as Alberto Vanmeter.
Billups was detained by officers at the scene.
A detective with the Lafayette Police Department spoke with a witness who said they came outside after hearing shots. They said they saw three people. A female, later identified as Billups was with a male laying by a fence, and another male, later identified as Joshua Ungersma was standing nearby.
The witness said they spoke with Ungersma, who stated Billups and the other male tried to rob him and said to call the police. The witness said they saw Billups come up to Ungersma and shoot him.
Another witness said they also came outside after hearing shots and saw three people: a female, later identified as Billups was with a male by the fence, who was later identified as Vanmeter, and another male, later identified as Ungersma who said to call the police. That witness said they also heard Billups indicate Ungersma had shot Vanmeter. After the second witness went inside to get a phone, they heard more shots. They came back outside and said they saw Billups shoot Ungersma. Billups then went back to the other male until police arrived.
Domino’s records showed a female called in an order for a pizza and one side with two drinks. She provided the name “Rebecca” and the delivery address of 1900 N. 16th Street in Lafayette.
Ungersma then left Domino’s to make the delivery. The number which was called into Domino’s was the same number Billups used to call 911, and the residence at the address for the delivery was unoccupied and no one was at the home, which was not where she lived.
