BEDFORD — A Bedford man is behind bars after allegedly launching a violent assault on his wife on her birthday, barricading her inside their home, hiding her firearm, and instructing her to lie to hospital staff about her severe injuries.
Matthew Scott Stigall, 45, of Bedford, was arrested on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department. He faces preliminary felony and misdemeanor charges of domestic battery resulting in serious bodily injury, criminal confinement, and interference with the reporting of a crime.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Lawrence County Officer Ryan Paschall, county dispatchers were alerted to a domestic battery situation after the female victim arrived at the IU Health Bedford Hospital emergency room. An officer with the IU Health Police Department contacted county authorities after the female stated she wished to report a domestic assault that had taken place earlier that day, which was also her 42nd birthday.
Officer Paschall responded to the hospital and interviewed the woman. She stated that she was sitting down doing her nails when she and Stigall began arguing. During the dispute, Stigall allegedly kicked a plastic makeup drawer near her. The drawer flew upward, striking the woman directly in her left eye and eyebrow area.
The woman told police she attempted to defend herself, but Stigall repeatedly grabbed her by the wrists, causing visible bruising, and threw her to the ground.
The affidavit outlines a terrifying sequence where Stigall allegedly trapped the woman inside the home to prevent her from seeking help.
When the woman attempted to call 911, Stigall forcibly grabbed her cell phone and hid it out of her reach. Desperate, the woman tried to retrieve her personal firearm for self-defense. Stigall allegedly intercepted her, wrestled the gun away, and hid it as well. The woman noted that while he did not point the weapon at her, she had no idea where he had concealed it.
The woman then attempted to punch through a glass window in a desperate bid to escape the residence. Stigall reportedly grabbed her from behind in a tight bear hug and dragged her away from the window.
In addition to facial bruising and injured wrists, the woman suffered a laceration to the back of her head. She told investigators that while the chaos of the assault made it hard to remember the exact moment she was cut, she was certain it occurred while Stigall was assaulting her.
Before the woman managed to leave for the hospital, Stigall explicitly ordered her to fabricate a story and lie to the nurses and medical staff about how she received the injuries, according to the affidavit.
While Officer Paschall was at the hospital interviewing the woman, Stigall called her cell phone. The woman answered on speakerphone in front of the officers. During the recorded call, Stigall stated he had fled the county and was currently in Odon, specifically noting he left “to avoid getting into trouble.” Though the woman initially told Stigall over the phone that she would not press charges, she immediately turned to officers once the call disconnected and stated she absolutely wanted to pursue full criminal charges.
Sensing an opportunity to safely apprehend the suspect, officers instructed the woman to ask Stigall to drive back to the hospital to pick her up.
Officer Paschall, Captain Pope, Officer Hogan, and Officer Carter established an undercover surveillance detail a block away from the hospital on 16th Street, waiting for the woman’s signal. However, before she could alert them, sharp-eyed officers spotted Stigall’s vehicle approaching.
County police executed a high-risk traffic stop on 16th Street. Stigall was ordered out of the vehicle at gunpoint, directed to walk backward toward the sound of officers’ voices, and was safely detained in handcuffs.
When questioned after being read his Miranda rights, Stigall claimed total ignorance, telling officers he had no idea what had happened or what was going on with the woman. He repeatedly stated he was sober and “would never hit a woman,” claiming he was simply driving back from his workplace in Odon.
However, Officer Paschall and Officer Hogan both detected the strong odor of alcohol on Stigall’s breath. He was transported to the Lawrence County Jail, where he showed physical signs of impairment, including glossy eyes, though he blamed poor balance on a legacy back injury during field sobriety testing.
Stigall was booked into the Lawrence County Jail.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
