Eric Montgomery: Man charged with rape of Avery McMillan, 20, who was found dead on Indiana University campus
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA: Two weeks after 20-year-old Indiana University student Avery McMillan was discovered unconscious and unresponsive inside a Bloomington home, police arrested the homeowner on Wednesday, August 31 in connection with her death. According to arrest records, 33-year-old Eric Montgomery is currently charged with rape when victim is mentally disabled or deficient and furnishing alcohol to a minor. This is the only arrest that has resulted since McMillan's unexplained death on August 17, 2022.
Deputies from the Monroe County Sheriff's Department were called to an off-campus residence in the 4100 block of Arlington Road, close to State Road 46 and North Maple Grave Road, at 9.45 am on the same day. There, they discovered McMillan of Valparaiso unconscious and unresponsive. Three Narcan doses were given by the deputies, but they were unable to revive the woman. Court records state that she was discovered in the room of 33-year-old Eric who lived in his parent's house.
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Police claim that Montgomery cooperated with them at the time, telling investigators that he had met McMillan the previous evening, picked her up near campus and brought her to his house nearby. The duration between McMillan being picked up and her death the following morning was not disclosed by the authorities.
While the use of Narcan raises the possibility that McMillan's death was caused by an overdose, police are still awaiting test results from a medical examiner to determine her exact cause of death. The results might not be available for a month, according to the authorities.
In a routine traffic stop on Wednesday, Montgomery was taken into custody without a struggle and the authorities claim he has a "violent and extensive criminal history". The Monroe County Sheriff's Office said a specialized division called the Critical Incident Response Team provided assistance in the arrest.
According to court records, a judge authorized Montgomery's arrest on a warrant on Tuesday for rape when the victim is "disabled or deficient," as well as furnishing alcohol to a minor, and set his bail at $100,000.
Montgomery has been detained numerous times in Indiana, most recently on August 4, 2022, for marijuana possession. Montgomery's arrest history for felonies include charges for domestic battery in 2018, burglary and credit card fraud in 2012, endangering a person while driving while intoxicated in 2019, and dealing a counterfeit substance in 2011, according to records.
According to a GoFundMe set up by McMillan's friend, Gabrielle Parsons, McMillan's family and friends have since shared memories of her on social media, praising her for being "so giving" and "always there to help everyone."
The 20-year-old was a senior at Indiana University and a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, the chapter which praised her ability to build relationships in a Facebook post.
"Avery, you were a beautiful free spirit who brightened our lives,” Madi Gen wrote on an online memorial page. "You were so generous with your love and you gave joy and comfort to many people. You were so full of life and you still had so much to offer the world."