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A Delaware County jury has convicted an Upland of murder, following a robbery gone wrong earlier this year, the Delaware County prosecutor’s office announced Wednesday.
On Nov. 30, after deliberating for a little over an hour, the jury convicted Shannon Miller, 33, on three counts, including murder, a felony; robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, a Level 2 felony; and conspiracy to commit robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, a Level 2 felony.
Under Indiana law, murder is punishable by 45 to 65 years in prison, and a Level 2 felony is punishable by 10 to 30 years in prison.
“A Delaware County Jury has taken another violent felon off the streets,” Delaware County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Hoffman said in a public statement. “People who commit these violent acts must be held accountable.”
According to arrest documents, in the early morning hours of Feb. 6, Muncie police officers responded to the area of 2100 E. Cornell Ave. in reference to a man down.
A male subject, later identified as Ronald Wright, was found face down in a large pool of blood, with a stab wound near his left armpit.
Miller was identified as the caller, and she later spoke with detectives, stating she found Wright’s body while walking to a gas station through a nearby park.
After investigators spoke with other people, Miller was interviewed a second time, where she discussed how she was scared of Chris McDougall, an ex-boyfriend. Miller told investigators she was positive McDougall was responsible for Wright’s death because she saw him running away from the area.
Ultimately, police determined Miller conspired with Wright to steal drugs from McDougall. Authorities said Wright had a gun and threatened to kill McDougall if he didn’t turn over the drugs. McDougall told police he didn’t have any drugs with him and pulled a knife from his backpack and stabbed Wright in self-defense.
Miller was charged under a felony murder rule that holds people accountable for murder if they participated in a felony that resulted in death, even if they didn’t intend to kill.
Delaware Circuit Court Judge Judi Calhoun has scheduled Miller’s sentencing for Dec. 29.
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