Lisa Pattison
Scott Pattison indicted for murder
October 25, 2010WABASH, Ind. (WANE) - The Wabash County Sheriff's Department has arrested Scott Pattison after a grand jury indicted him for murder in connection with the death of his wife. Wabash County Prosecutor Bill Hartley announced the arrest at a news conference Monday afternoon.
According to Prosecutor Hartley, Pattison was picked up without incident by deputies at his mother's home in Swayzee. An initial hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday at 1 p.m.
When asked by NewsChannel 15 about his arrest, Pattison replied, "I am not guilty." His attorney, Shane Beal echoed his statements in a phone interview. Beal denied Pattison had any wrongdoing, or involvment in Lisa's death.
A grand jury began hearing testimony related to the death of Lisa Pattison last week. She was found dead in their home on a weight bench on July 2, by her husband Scott. The Grant County Coroner ruled her death a homicide.
The grand jury began deliberating Monday after Wabash County Sheriff's Deputies loaded a truck with disassembled exercise equipment. That equipment was taken from the judicial building where the grand jury proceedings took place to an unknown location.
Prosecutor Bill Hartley had planned on having the grand jury proceedings wrap up last week. A spokesperson for Hartley's office said a witness had been involved in a traffic accident, and was not able to testify, which delayed the proceedings.
On Thursday of last week, Lisa Pattison's sister testified before the grand jury, as did her 18-year old son, among other witnesses. Scott Pattison testified to the jury on Wednesday, the second day of the proceedings.
According to authorities, around noon on July 2, 2009, Scott Pattison reported he found his wife Lisa unresponsive in the fitness room of their LaFontaine home on the weight bench with the bar bell across her throat.
Pattison told police he removed the bar, began CPR and called for emergency assistance. After the call, Pattison decided to place his wife in the cab of his truck and take her to Marion General Hospital.
On the way to the hospital, Pattison was stopped by Grant County police and medical personnel, where they took Lisa from the truck, placed her in the ambulance and immediately started resuscitation.
After continued resusciation efforts at the hospital failed, Lisa Pattison was pronounced dead at 12:49 p.m. . The coroner initially ruled the cause of death as asphyxia caused by compression. Lisa Pattison's death would later be ruled a homicide, clearly defining that her death was not accidental, but was at the hands of someone else.
With no confession to a crime by anyone, and no eye witnesses, Hartley said he called in a grand jury to hear the body of evidence that is for the most part, circumstantial. Hartley also said it would relieve some of the political pressure off of him whether to file murder or manslaughter charges against Scott Pattison.
Lisa Pattison left behind an 18-year old son, among other family members. Her father, Jerry Young spoke out on Lisa's death exclusively to NewsChannel 15.
"It's bad enough for a father, or mother to lose their child," said Young. "But to then not know what happened, that just adds to the pain." Young called his daughter a loving mother, and a creative and motivated marketing professional.
Court documents show Scott Pattison had filed divorce from Lisa in March, but then filed a continuance in May. The petition for a continuance showed the two parties were "trying to reconcile."
Hartley said in a grand jury indictment, charging information is not publicly available, even after charges have been filed. Details into the evidence the grand jury reviewed will not be available until a trial plays out in a Wabash County Court. That's when information about the evidence would be revealed.
