Investigators say Caitlynn Girkin gave conflicting descriptions of how her roommate came to be shot with her personal handgun.

PEKIN, Ill. — A former Creve Coeur police officer faces three counts of first-degree murder after investigators said she repeatedly changed her account of the night her roommate was fatally shot inside their shared home.

Caitlynn J. Girkin, 27, is accused of killing 29-year-old Adolfo Cazares shortly after 2 a.m. March 10 at a residence in the 500 block of Roosevelt Street in Creve Coeur. Girkin initially called 911 and reported that Cazares had shot himself with her personal handgun, according to authorities. Prosecutors later alleged that her explanation changed during multiple interviews as investigators examined the physical scene, the location of the firearm and messages exchanged before the shooting. Girkin has not been convicted, and the allegations against her remain to be tested in court.

Officers responding to the home found Cazares unresponsive in a hallway outside Girkin’s bedroom. He was partially undressed and had suffered a gunshot wound to the chest, according to court records described by local news organizations. Police and rescue personnel attempted to save him, but he died at the scene. A handgun was found on Girkin’s bed, according to the reports. Because Girkin was employed by the Creve Coeur Police Department at the time, the department requested that the Illinois State Police take control of the investigation.

The first version attributed to Girkin placed the gun in Cazares’ possession. According to the probable cause affidavit, she said she had been lying on her bed when Cazares entered her room carrying her handgun and pointed it toward her. Girkin allegedly said she believed he might shoot himself, prompting her to reach for the weapon. She said she heard the gun fire during the resulting struggle and then asked whether he had shot himself. The affidavit says she told investigators that Cazares answered that he had.

That account also addressed why officers found Cazares with his sweatpants lowered. Girkin initially said the clothing fell as he collapsed, according to prosecutors. She later allegedly told investigators that he had begun pulling down his pants while he was holding the gun. The distinction became important because it changed the reported sequence of events and the explanation for Cazares’ condition when police entered the home. Authorities have not publicly released photographs of the scene, forensic reports or a full transcript of Girkin’s interviews.

During a later interview, more than a month after the shooting, Girkin allegedly acknowledged that the gun had not been brought into the room by Cazares. Prosecutors said she instead described the firearm as being on her nightstand when he entered. She reportedly said Cazares pulled down his pants, moved toward her and tried to touch her leg. Girkin said she pushed him back, picked up the gun and fired because she feared he was going to sexually assault her, according to accounts of the affidavit.

Investigators pointed to statements Girkin allegedly made during her first interview that they said conflicted with that later claim. She reportedly told authorities that she and Cazares had previously had consensual sexual contact and that he had not made a sexual advance toward her before the shooting that morning. The filing does not resolve what happened inside the bedroom. It records the state’s account of the evidence supporting the charges, and Girkin will be able to challenge its claims through her attorney.

Another part of the investigation concerned Snapchat messages that Girkin allegedly sent to Cazares shortly before he came to her room. Authorities said the images showed her placing the gun near her head and in her mouth. According to the state’s account, Girkin said those messages were the reason Cazares went to check on her. The publicly reported records do not establish how much time passed between the messages, his arrival in the bedroom and the gunshot. They also do not disclose whether investigators recovered the images directly from a device or account.

The changing descriptions appear to form a central part of the prosecution’s case, but inconsistencies alone do not establish criminal guilt. Prosecutors charging first-degree murder must prove the elements of that offense beyond a reasonable doubt. Illinois law generally defines first-degree murder to include a killing without lawful justification when the person intended death or great bodily harm, knew the conduct would cause death, or knew it created a strong probability of death or great bodily harm. The exact language of Girkin’s three counts has not been fully reproduced in the public reports reviewed for this article.

The case developed over nearly four months. Creve Coeur police requested assistance from the Illinois State Police after the March 10 death, and state investigators continued interviewing Girkin and reviewing evidence. She was taken into custody July 7 after what state police called a comprehensive investigation. Authorities identified her as a Kewanee woman and said she was transported to the Tazewell County Jail in Pekin. State police said at the time that the investigation remained active and that no additional information would be released.

Girkin made an initial court appearance by video from the jail. Prosecutors filed a petition seeking to keep her in custody before trial, while a detention hearing was postponed so the defense could review the case. Her public defender said the materials included more than 500 pages of police reports and at least two recorded or documented interviews, according to a local radio report. Girkin told the court that she was working to hire a private attorney. No plea resolving the murder charges was reported at that appearance.

Under Illinois law, a murder charge can make a defendant eligible for pretrial detention, but detention is not automatic solely because a charge has been filed. A judge must consider the state’s petition and the facts presented at a hearing under the state’s pretrial-release rules. That proceeding is separate from a trial and does not decide whether Girkin committed the charged offenses. It addresses whether she should remain jailed while the criminal case moves through court.

Girkin was off duty when the shooting occurred, prosecutors said. Publicly available reporting indicates she joined the Creve Coeur Police Department as a part-time officer in January 2025 and became a full-time officer that September. Before that, she spent about 13 months as a full-time Peoria police officer. Creve Coeur Police Chief Justin Egan later referred to her as a former officer. The department has not publicly described the circumstances or effective date of her separation.

Cazares was born in Chicago and had ties to both Creve Coeur and Kewanee, according to his obituary. His family described him as someone who enjoyed traveling, video games and playing Magic with friends. The obituary said he was close to his nephews and deeply attached to his cat. Those details stand apart from the allegations in the affidavit, which primarily describe Cazares through the final minutes of his life and through statements made during the investigation.

The prosecution must still establish which account, if any, is supported by forensic evidence, digital records and witness testimony. The public reports do not disclose whether gunshot-residue testing was completed, whether fingerprints or DNA were recovered from the firearm, whether neighbors heard an argument or whether the home contained surveillance equipment. They also do not identify any independent witness who saw the shooting. Those unanswered questions may become central as both sides obtain evidence and prepare for later hearings.

No later public report reviewed for this article established that the case had gone to trial or that the charges had been resolved, and Girkin remains presumed innocent unless she is convicted. The Illinois State Police have described the investigation as active, while the criminal prosecution is proceeding in Tazewell County court.

Author note: Last updated Aug. 4, 2026.