BLACKFOOT, ID – An 85-year-old Idaho woman stopped an armed intruder from breaking into her home and threatening her life. She shot the attacker, 39-year-old Derek Condon, in what Bingham County prosecutor, Ryan Jolley, declared a “justifiable homicide.”
Christine Jenneiahn was awoken in her Blackfoot residence by Condon around 2 a.m. on March 13. The intruder, clad in a military jacket and a ski mask, threatened Jenneiahn with a gun and a flashlight, said Jolley. It is highly probable that Condon assaulted Jenneiahn before handcuffing her and leading her to the living room, as indicated by bloody evidence at the crime scene.
In her living room, Condon demanded that Jenneiahn reveal the location of her home’s valuables. On being informed by Jenneiahn about two safes downstairs and the presence of her disabled son, Condon made multiple death threats against her, detailed Jolley.
When Condon was downstairs, Jenneiahn managed to drag herself with her chair into her bedroom, where she retrieved a .357 Magnum from under her pillow. She then waited for Condon in her living room, with the firearm hidden between the couch’s armrest and cushion.
According to Jenneiahn’s memory, she shot Condon twice amid his continuous threats as he burglarized her home. Condon counter-attacked by shooting Jenneiahn multiple times, succumbing to his injuries in the kitchen shortly thereafter.
Despite being injured and handcuffed, Jenneiahn survived on the floor for 10 hours until her son discovered the incident and handed her the phone to call 911. When deputies arrived at the scene, they found a lock pick set, car keys, a handcuff key, and stolen items from Jenneiahn’s home on Condon.
As per Idaho’s self-defense law, a person has the right to “stand his ground and defend himself or another person by the use of all force and means,” which Jolley believes Jenneiahn was justified in doing.