BOZEMAN — A Montana man gunned down his girlfriend and then sent a text message about the killing to her ex-husband and others, authorities said Wednesday.
Anthony Tobias Fagiano, 35, was charged with deliberate homicide hours after he turned himself in, telling officers he broke into Darcy Buhmann’s house and shot her, police in Bozeman said.
Buhmann’s ex-husband, Christopher Wood, called 911 to report he received a text from Fagiano that said he had shot Buhmann. The text added: “It’s best for you, she’ll never be faithful.”
Police found Buhmann’s body in her bedroom closet. She was shot in the head and stomach.
Public defender Mary Kramer did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Fagiano told investigators that he took Buhmann’s car after the shooting and went to the woods, where he sent texts to several family members about the shooting. A relative urged him to report what he had done to law enforcement, so he drove to the court and police facility in Bozeman, charging documents said.
When an officer asked if his girlfriend needed medical attention, he replied, “No man, she’s dead. I popped her in the head,” court records said.
Fagiano told officers he had been in a relationship with Buhmann for about a year and had been thinking about killing her for several months. He said he recently stole a rifle, intending to use it to kill her.
Fagiano was served with a restraining order filed by Buhmann on Feb. 21, prosecutors said. She listed him as her ex-boyfriend.
“It took less than one month, and we have a homicide case,” Gallatin County Attorney Marty Lambert said in recommending bail be set at $1 million. “He’s an extreme risk to the members of this community.”
Fagiano appeared in court via video. He did not enter a plea. Kramer said Fagiano did not oppose the bail amount, but said he might seek a reduction when the case is moved to district court.