An Indianapolis man will soon learn his fate after pleading guilty to murdering a postal worker who hadn’t delivered his stimulus checks.
On Wednesday, 23-year-old Tony Cushingberry pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the April 27th, 2020, slaying of 45-year-old USPS mail carrier Angela Summers. According to Postal Inspector Joseph J. De St-Jean, the young man was upset that Summers was not delivering his mail due to an aggressive dog at his residence. The U.S. Postal Service sent two letters to the home, asking the dog’s owners to secure the pet before mail service was suspended altogether. According to postal regulations, since mail delivery had been halted at the address, Summers was not allowed to bring Cushingberry’s mail but still had to walk past his home on her route.
On the day of the shooting, Cushingberry spotted Summers and confronted her about not delivering his mail, as he was expecting two stimulus checks. The woman ignored Cushingberry and proceeded to deliver mail to his neighbor. He followed the postal worker and continued to press her about the mail. Seemingly fearful of Cushingberry, Summers turned around and pepper-sprayed him. He responded by retrieving a handgun from his waistband and shooting her once in the chest. Summers was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Cushingberry was arrested the following day but claimed he was only trying to scare Summers. U.S. Attorney Zachary Myers does not buy Cushingberry’s story and says the murder was senseless.
“Letter carrier Summers was a dedicated public servant simply doing her job when she was senselessly murdered,” Myers stated. Summers is survived by one daughter.
A sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled, but Cushingberry is facing the maximum of life in federal prison when he goes before U.S. District Court Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson.
