INDIANAPOLIS, IN – A man who admitted to killing his wife just weeks after she gave birth to their first child has been sentenced to 45 years in prison, according to Marion County court records.

Robert Cooley, 27, was ordered by Superior Judge Cynthia L. Oetjen to serve the decades-long sentence after he pleaded guilty to murder in the death of 26-year-old Amber Cooley. The fatal attack took place inside their Indianapolis home on June 1, 2024, following what family called a troubled relationship.

Ambulances and police rushed to the couple’s residence on the city’s east side early that morning after a report of a shooting. When they arrived, officers found Amber Cooley in an upstairs bedroom with fatal gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Robert Cooley was waiting outside the house when officers arrived. He told the arriving officers that he had “done something bad” and expressed that he needed to be taken to jail, police said.

After being taken into custody, investigators said he confessed to the killing, explaining he had beaten, slashed, and shot his wife. Authorities noted that Amber Cooley’s injuries were severe, rendering her nearly unrecognizable.

During the investigation, police also discovered an infant inside the home. Relatives later confirmed the couple’s child was just over a month old.

The case took a turn when Robert Cooley’s brother reported that he received a FaceTime call that morning from Robert, who admitted to killing his wife. These admissions were also documented in statements to detectives during his interview.

Amber Cooley, a kindergarten teacher, had reportedly told her mother just a day prior to her death that she wanted to seek a divorce. Her parents said their daughter had endured years of verbal abuse during her relationship with Robert.

After his arrest, Robert Cooley decided not to proceed to trial, instead accepting a plea agreement with prosecutors that resulted in the 45-year sentence for a single count of murder.

Judge Oetjen credited Cooley with more than 600 days already served in jail, as well as additional time for good behavior.

Amber Cooley’s parents described the ordeal as devastating, saying they had sensed growing tension in the marriage in the weeks leading up to their daughter’s death. The young mother’s death marks another tragic instance of domestic violence, leaving a family and community searching for answers and raising a newborn without a mother.

Authorities have not commented on custody plans for the infant. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Amber Cooley’s slaying has now closed with her husband’s sentencing and conviction.