COA affirms denial of ineffective counsel PCR claim
The Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed Tuesday the denial of a man’s successive petition for post-conviction relief, finding the man’s trial attorney’s strategy was not constitutionally ineffective.
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2 convicted in killings of 3 during drug-related robbery
Two young men have been convicted in connection with the 2017 drug-related robbery and fatal shootings of three men in an Indianapolis apartment. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office announced Monday that Troy Ward was convicted of c three counts of murder and three counts of felony murder, while Martell Williams was convicted of charges including three counts of felony murder, among other convictions for both.
7th Circuit seeking public comment on jury instructions
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals is seeking public comment on proposed revisions to criminal pattern jury instructions. Comments on the proposed changes will be accepted until Nov. 20.
Justices won’t disturb conviction in triple killing
The Supreme Court of the United States is rejecting an appeal from a man convicted of joining a New Orleans police officer in the killing of her fellow officer and two other people during a 1995 robbery.
Indiana man charged in 1988 slaying wants trial moved
An Indiana man charged in the 1988 abduction, rape and killing of an 8-year-old girl wants his trial moved to another county. John D. Miller, who is charged with the murder and molestation of April Tinsley, filed a motion Thursday seeking a change of venue.
Man sentenced in 1980 killing of off-duty Hammond officer
A Gary man convicted in the 1980 shooting death of off-duty Hammond police officer Lawrence Pucalik has been sentenced to 47 years in prison.
Marion County jury to hear capital case in Fort Wayne
Jurors from Marion County will hear the case of a Fort Wayne man facing death penalty charges stemming from the deaths of four people.
Retrial planned in eastern Indiana fatal stabbing case
A retrial is planned after a jury couldn’t reach a verdict in the trial of a man charged in the death of a man found stabbed on a sidewalk in eastern Indiana.
Death penalty defense in officer’s killing seeks brain consultant
An Indianapolis man facing the death penalty for allegedly killing a Southport police officer is requesting public funds to hire a brain injury consultant in an apparent move to raise questions about whether he acted “knowingly or intentionally.”
Man convicted in slayings of 2 women in Indianapolis
A Gary man has been convicted of two counts of murder in the shooting deaths of two northwestern Indiana women whose bodies were discovered in a burning car in Indianapolis.
Oakland City man acquitted in motel manager’s death
A southwestern Indiana jury has acquitted of murder a 21-year-old man whose attorney argued self-defense in the shooting death of a motel co-manager.
Death penalty dropped for man’s third triple-murder trial
A northern Indiana man who’s facing his third trial in a triple-murder case won’t face the death penalty if he’s convicted again in the killings. Wayne Kubsch is expected to stand trial again next year for the 1998 Mishawaka slaying of his wife, her ex-husband and their son.
Indiana teen charged in suffocation deaths of his 2 siblings
A 14-year-old southeastern Indiana boy charged in the suffocation deaths of his two young siblings told investigators that he killed them so that they wouldn’t “have to live in the hell that he did,” prosecutors allege.
COA remands to reconsider resentencing bid
The Indiana Court of Appeals found that prosecutorial consent was not required for an offender’s third sentence modification petition after an amended state statute removed that requirement in 2015.
Hill asks SCOTUS to reinstate death penalty for murderer Baer
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill is asking the nation’s highest court to reinstate the death penalty against a man convicted of killing a Madison County woman and her 4-year-old daughter, arguing the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals failed to properly defer to state court rulings when it overturned his death sentence earlier this year.
Sessions: Trump administration efforts reducing violent crime
Speaking to a group of nearly 600 Hoosier law enforcement officers at the 2018 Indiana Law Enforcement Conference on Thursday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions touted Trump administration efforts that he said reduced violent crime in dozens of cities.
COA reverses murderer’s post-conviction relief
Post-conviction relief was revoked from a man convicted of murder and sentenced to 141 years in prison after the Indiana Court of Appeals found res judicata barred him from making a claim for relief.
Family of victims in Indiana cold case look to TV show for justice
Relatives of two pregnant sisters who were killed decades ago in northwestern Indiana are hoping a television program on the cold case will finally bring justice. The family of the sisters took the case to Lisette Guillen of “Case Files Chicago,” a program that highlights unsolved homicides, violent crimes and missing persons in and around Chicago.
DNA from genealogy websites leads to cold-case arrests
Using genealogy websites to crack cold cases is making headlines in Fort Wayne and around the country, but it has not been tested in court. The individuals arrested and charged with the crimes are at the beginning of their cases, and questions of privacy and DNA reliability have not been answered.
Teen gets 64 years for fatal shooting of Indiana woman
An Elkhart teenager has been sentenced to 64 years in prison for fatally shooting a woman after an argument with her daughter. The teen was convicted as an adult for firing the deadly bullet when he was 14.