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Post-conviction relief was revoked from a man convicted of murder and sentenced to 141 years in prison after the Indiana Court of Appeals found res judicata barred him from making a claim for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.
Murder
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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.
Jacksonville shooting suspect had mental illness history
The suspect in a deadly shooting at a Florida video game tournament had previously been hospitalized for mental illness, according to court records in his home state of Maryland reviewed by The Associated Press.
7th Circuit reverses laches dismissal of PCR case
The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated a convicted killer’s habeas petition Monday, vacating a decision in the first Indiana case involving a laches dismissal stemming from a defendant’s post-filing delay in prosecuting a state court post-conviction case.
Orleans man guilty in Bedford drive-thru shooting
A jury in Lawrence County has convicted a southern Indiana man of fatally shooting another man in a McDonald’s drive-thru lane last year.
Anderson man charged in fatal shootings of woman, man
A central Indiana man faces murder charges in the fatal shootings of a man and woman whose bodies were found in a nature preserve and an abandoned farmhouse.
Landske pleads not guilty in shooting death of attorney Page
William "Bill" Landske, the husband of the late state Sen. Sue Landske, pleaded not guilty Monday to a murder charge stemming from allegations he fatally shot Lake County lawyer and family friend T. Edward Page in his Hobart home last week, the Times of Northwest Indiana reported.
Elkhart wrongful conviction case latest in county’s justice system
An effort to exonerate a man with limited mental capacity who was convicted of murder 13 years ago is the latest in a string of criminal cases that have put a spotlight on the extraordinary number of wrongful convictions in Elkhart County.
Prosecutor: Hobart lawyer shot dead by client
Authorities say a northwestern Indiana attorney was fatally shot at his home by a client. Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said Hobart police have arrested a suspect in the shooting death Wednesday morning of 64-year-old T. Edward Page.
Murder charge filed after shooting while gun played with
A murder charge has been filed after authorities say an 18-year-old man died after being shot in the face by a friend who was playing with a gun in his Terre Haute home.
Nevada death-row inmate: ‘Just get it done’
A Nevada death-row inmate whose execution has been postponed twice said a legal fight over his fate is taking a tortuous toll on him and his family and he just wants his sentence carried out.
Teen convicted of murder in fatal shooting of Elkhart woman
A teenager has been convicted as an adult of murder in the November 2016 fatal shooting of a woman in northern Indiana.
Elkhart man moves to withdraw wrongful conviction petition
A mentally disabled man challenging his conviction in a 2002 Elkhart murder has moved to withdraw his petition to vacate judgment in favor of filing a successive petition for post-conviction relief.
Attorney: Elkhart teen charged with murder denied rights
An attorney for an Elkhart teenager whose murder trial will soon begin is asking a judge to throw out incriminating statements, arguing police violated the teen’s constitutional rights.
February trial set for Indiana man charged in 1988 slaying
A judge has set a Feb. 11 trial date for an Indiana man charged in the 1988 abduction, rape and killing of an 8-year-old girl. John D. Miller, of Grabill, is charged with murder and child molestation in the killing of April Tinsley.
Man gets 60 years in USI student’s slaying
A man has been sentenced to 60 years in prison for the fatal shooting of his ex-girlfriend in southwestern Indiana. Isaiah Hagan was sentenced Thursday for murder, robbery and obstruction of justice convictions in connection with the April 2017 slaying of Halee Rathgeber.
Indiana man convicted in double slaying wants 100-year sentence cut
A northeastern Indiana man convicted as a teenager in his mother and stepfather’s 1994 slayings is seeking to have his 100-year sentence shortened. Aaron Brown’s request for post-conviction relief contends court rulings have found that imposing a “de facto life sentence” on a juvenile is improper when their juvenile status isn’t considered.
Appeal rejected in plot targeting Noblesville lawyer
A woman's appeal of her federal guilty plea in a murder-for-hire case targeting a Noblesville attorney was dismissed by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in a case the panel said resembled “the plot of a mediocre novel.”