UPDATE (October 17, 2025):
ALLEN CO., Ind. (ADAMS) – A 38-year-old man has been convicted by a jury in Allen County of killing a 54-year-old homeless woman. Jonathon Mattix faces up to 65 years in prison when he is sentenced, along with an additional 20 years for a firearm enhancement charge.
The body of Dawn Vera Kovach of New Haven was found in January, and she had been shot to death. Mattix told police when he was arrested that he killed her in self-defense after he followed her to her tent.
Read more HERE
ORIGINAL STORY:
NEW HAVEN, Ind. (ADAMS) – The Allen County Coroner’s Office has identified a woman who was killed in New Haven last week and an arrest has now been made. Dawn Vera Kovach, 54, was reportedly homeless and found shot to death in her tent. Multiple local law enforcement agencies were in communication leading to the arrest of her suspected killer, 37-year-old Jonathan Mattix who is reportedly claiming self-defense. Mattix will have an initial hearing on Tuesday.
The Allen County Coroner’s Office released the following on Monday:
On Thursday, January 23rd, 2025, the Allen County Coroner’s Office was notified of a deceased individual in the 2600 block of Wayne Haven Street in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The victim was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The person was identified as Dawn Vera Kovach, 54, female, White of New Haven, Indiana.
An autopsy has been completed, and notification has been made to the legal next of kin. The Cause of Death is Multiple Gunshot Wounds, and the Manner of Death is Homicide. Dawn Vera Kovach is the 4th homicide for Allen County in 2025.
The incident remains under investigation by the New Haven Police Department, Indiana State Police, the Allen County Prosecutor’s Office and the Allen County Coroner’s Office.
Read more local reporting HERE
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