Vicky S. Wade

Seymour Man Accused in Beating Death of Wife

April 24, 2011

SEYMOUR, Ind. (AP) - Police say a southern Indiana man who tried to kill himself is accused of killing his wife.

Seymour Police Chief Bill Abbot told The Tribune of Seymour that 56-year-old Terry L. Wade was arrested Sunday after being released from the hospital.

Wade is charged with murder in the beating death of his wife, 54-year-old Vicky S. Wade. Police say they found her body at the couple's home after a request for a welfare check from a family member at the home.

Abbott says Terry Wade was also found at the home and hospitalized for an overdose after he tried to kill himself.  Following an autopsy Friday morning, the coroner's office has determined Vicky Wade's cause of death as a result of blunt force trauma.

Obituary

Vicky S. Wade, 54, of Seymour, passed away Thursday, April 21, 2011 at her residence.

Vicky was born July 6, 1956 in Seymour. She was the daughter of the late Doug Harmon and Anne Williams Harmon Fisbeck who survives.

Vicky was an employee of Ai-sin. She was also an Avon representative, doing fund raisers in Jackson, Jennings and Bartholomew Counties. Vicky contributed to “Kids Corner” of the Seymour Tribune. She enjoyed writing, especially short stories. One of her other enjoyments were animals.

Vicky married Terry Wade, October 29, 1983 in Hope. She is survived by her husband, Terry; a son, Travis Wade; sisters, Kristal (Sean) Hubbard and Michelle Hallett; and her mother. She was preceded in death by her father.

A celebration of Vicky’s life will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Voss Chapel. Calling will be from 4 p.m. until time of the memorial celebration Tuesday at the funeral home. Memorials may be written to the donor’s choice.

Arrangements are under the careful direction of Voss & Sons Funeral Service and Tri-County Crematory in Seymour.

Lavenna Shorter

Lavenna Shorter

Man Shot, Killed Girlfriend In Alley

911 Call Alerts Officers To Victim

April 9, 2011

INDIANAPOLIS -- A man was arrested and charged with murder after a woman was found fatally shot in an alley on Indianapolis' east side early Saturday.

Indianapolis Metro Police were called to an alley just east of the 900 block of Sherman Drive at about 2 a.m.

A 911 caller told dispatchers that she heard a gunshot and then heard a woman screaming, 6News' Myrt Price reported.

"Officers arrived and discovered one female suffering from a gunshot wound," said Kendale Adams, Indianapolis police public information officer. "Indianapolis EMS arrived on scene and pronounced the victim deceased."

Police charged Oscar Hall, 38, in connection with the shooting. The victim was identified as Lavenna Shorter, 42.

After receiving the tip from the 911 caller, police tracked Hall down at a home in the 9400 block of East 43rd Street, where they took him into custody.

"He was transported to the homicide office, where he was interviewed and subsequently charged with murder," Adams said.

Police said the shooting may have been the result of some sort of domestic dispute. Neighbors said they believe Shorter was trying to break-up with Hall, which may have sparked the dispute.

"From what I understand, he may have been stalking her," Adams said.

Police said Hall has a lengthy criminal record and was just released from prison earlier this year.

Also:

INDIANAPOLIS -- The family of a slain Indianapolis woman who police said was killed by her boyfriend early Saturday is speaking publicly.

Lavenna Shorter's family said they are still in shock about her death, but they admit they knew she was having problems with her boyfriend, 6News' Myrt Price reported.

"He killed my daughter, and it was cold-blooded," said Marie Adams, Lavenna's mother.

"It's killing me, man. That was my baby. Words cant describe," said Lavenna's father.

Shorter's family said they are devastated and are still trying to come to terms with the fact that she is gone.

"She was a nice young lady. She wasn't into nothing. (She would) go to work and take care of her two girls. She was just a nice person, anyone will tell you in the world she was a beautiful person," Adams said.

Family members said the nightmare began Saturday morning when Oscar Hall barged into her home.

"He stole her key. She didn't know he had a key, and he opened her door. He came in and started tripping and she said, 'Let's go. I'm going to take you home.' That's where she was taking him to his mother's house," Adams said.

However, once the couple arrived in the 900 block of Sherman Avenue, police said Hall shot and killed Shorter.

Police said the shooting happened in front of Shorter's daughter, Corey Hooten.

Hooten said after the suspect shot her mother, he then pointed the gun at her.

"He put the gun to my head and asked me if I want to be next," Hooten said.

Hooten said Hall eventually lowered the gun and drove off.

"For some reason, God stepped in and saved her," Adams said.

Shorter's family said Lavenna and Hall had been dating for a few months, but she had recently been trying to break things off.

"I just don't understand why he did this," Adams said.

The family said the only way they can ever have closure is for the suspect to pay for what he allegedly did.

"I want justice," said Adams. "I want him punished severely."

Shorter's mother offered advice to women who may find themselves in a troubled relationship: get away as fast as you can and don't be afraid to get help from family and friends.

UPDATE:

August 25, 2011

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A man was sentenced to 60 years in prison on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to killing his 42-year-old girlfriend.

Oscar Hall was charged with murder from an incident on April 9, when police say he shot his girlfriend, Lavenna Shorter, in the head after an argument escalated. It happened around 2 a.m. in an alley in the 900 block of Sherman Avenue, near 10th Street.

Shorter’s daughter was reportedly home when the shooting happened.

Sapphyre Putney

Sapphyre Putney

Man Arrested In Beating Death Of 2-Year-Old Girl

Police: Man Had Been Baby-Sitting Girlfriend's Daughter

June 24, 2011

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ind. -- A Franklin County man has been arrested, accused of beating his girlfriend's 2-year-old daughter to death.

Officers were called to the Big Cedar Trailer Court near Brookville on March 12 after the girl's mother said she came home from work to find her daughter, Sapphyre Putney, unresponsive in her bed.

The toddler was taken to Harrison Medical Center in Harrison, Ohio, where she was pronounced dead.

Final autopsy results recently released showed the child died of blunt-impact injuries to her abdomen resulting in a laceration to her small intestine and a pancreatic injury, police said.

Luis Antonio Gonzalez, 31, the live-in boyfriend of the girl's mother, had been baby-sitting the victim the night she died, police said.

He was arrested Thursday on preliminary charges of murder and battery resulting in death. He was being held Friday in the Hamilton County Detention Center in Cincinnati pending extradition back to Franklin County.

Also:

Grandma speaks out after arrest in toddler's death

PLEASUREVILLE, KY (WAVE) – A Henry County, KY woman is heartbroken as she learns how her granddaughter was killed and who police say is to blame. Indiana State Police arrested the mother's boyfriend for the murder of her two-year-old girl.

"She was just an innocent baby, so sweet," said Lisa Woods, victim's grandmother. "The kind of injury that she sustained was like falling from a second story window. That is not an accident."

Two-year-old Sapphyre Putney died back in March. Recently released autopsy results show she was beaten to death. Her mother is Woods' 23-year-old daughter McKenzie Simpson, who lives in Franklin County, Indiana.

Sapphyre was born with a rare genetic disorder; her right leg was only half as long as the other.

"She knew there was a difference in her, but she was never given the opportunity," said Woods. "It was taken from her."

On June 23, Simpson's live-in boyfriend, 31-year-old Luis Gonzalez, was arrested in Ohio for the toddler's murder.

"I love my daughter with all my heart, but she believes in her heart that her boyfriend had nothing to do with this," said Woods. "She has said it from the beginning that he's innocent."

Indiana State Police say Gonzalez was home babysitting Sapphyre while Simpson was at work, when she got home she found the child unresponsive in her bed.

"The arrest has been made, but I still have a lot of unanswered questions, I want to know what happened to my grandbaby," said Woods.

For now all Woods can do is think of the happier times while never letting her granddaughter's memory fade.

"The one thing I have is the peace of knowing where she's at," said Woods. "She'll never be hurt again."

Woods' two grandchildren are also Simpson's children. Woods' and her husband James are in the final stages of legally adopting both of them. As for Gonzalez, he is in the Hamilton County Jail in Cincinnati waiting on authorities to bring him back to Indiana.

Jasmine Abbott

Jasmine Abbott

Mother, 3 children shot to death

January 21, 2011

AUSTIN, Ind. (WDRB Fox 41)--A mother and her three children were found dead inside their Indiana home on Friday. Police say they all suffered gunshot wounds to the head--but police are not looking for any suspects.

Police stop short of calling it a triple murder-suicide, but say they are focusing their investigation only on the four people found dead inside the home.

The small road seems oddly busy as curious people slow down to take a look at a house on New York Street in Austin, Indiana. Karen Barrett remembers the last conversation she had with 30-year-old Amanda Bennett, "Just 'Hi! How ya doin?', she laughed, just like she, you know, she was a happy go lucky person, she just 'good how are you!' I waved my hand and went on, ya know."

Roses were left behind on a car for the four people found dead inside the burned home in Austin, Indiana Friday. Officials say Amanda Bennett and her three children--14-year-old Jasmine, 9-year-old Katelynn, and Ryan, 4-years old, all died from gunshot wounds to the head.

It appears Amanda and Katelynn might have suffered smoke inhalation. Although it is unclear how the fire started.

Police are not looking for suspects, but will not say it is a triple murder-suicide. "The detectives are not ready to make any determinations or give any exact facts on what happened inside of the home," said Sergeant Jerry Goodin, with Indiana State Police.

Friends say there were signs of marital problems. "This past Sunday night we come home from church," said Barrett, "and there were two loads of cops here and the husband and wife I assume had a scuffle because that's what my niece said, that Jasmine had come to school talking about her mom and dad getting a divorce."

But other than that, Barrett says you would never know. "He'd get out and play basketball with the kids, she'd sit out on the porch and watch 'em play you'd never know there was any family trouble, never," said Barrett.

Police would not comment on any possible domestic problems. "That is part of our investigation so there are some things that we don't want to release," said Goodin.

Debra Davidson is a cook at Austin Elementary and says she'll never forget 9-year-old Katelynn. "She always gave me and one of the other cooks a hug every day," said Davidson.

The deaths are something many just cannot comprehend. "I can't understand it," said Barrett, "I just can't see it myself, Lord knows all about it."

"We owe this not only to the family, but the public," said Goodin, "and we're going to come to some answers and when we get those answers we'll release them."

Austin schools will have extra counselors at school on Monday.


See post for dear siblings Katelynn Bennett and Ryan Bennett.

Katelynn Bennett

Katelynn Bennett

Indiana woman killed her 3 children and herself, police say

January 25, 2011

An Indiana woman shot her three children and set the family's house on fire before turning the gun on herself, police said.

The bodies of the four were discovered Friday, when police in Austin, Indiana, responded to the home to conduct a welfare check.

"Upon arriving, the officer had to make a forced entry into the residence," Indiana State Police said Monday in a statement. "Once in the residence, he saw parts of the home had suffered recent fire damage and also located four deceased persons in the home."

The state police assisted with the investigation, which preliminarily concluded that 30-year-old Amanda Bennett shot the children -- 14-year-old Jasmine Abbott, 9-year-old Katelynn Bennett and 4-year-old Ryan Bennett -- before starting the fire and shooting herself.

"While the investigation remains open until autopsy reports are finalized, indications are this case is a tragic case of murder/suicide that claimed three innocent lives along with the suspect of the murders, Amanda Bennett," the police statement said.

All four apparently died from gunshot wounds to the head. Amanda Bennett and Katelynn Bennett also suffered smoke inhalation, police said.

The family's dog was also shot, but survived and was being treated at a veterinary clinic, authorities said.

Jasmine, the teenager, had made references to marital problems between her parents and a possible divorce, friend Karen Barrett told CNN affiliate WDRB.

Indiana State Police spokesman Sgt. Jerry Goodin told CNN that authorities examined online content as part of their investigation, including a posting purportedly from Amanda Bennett that blamed her husband, according to WDRB, saying, "You got what you wanted, no wife and no kids."

However, the reasons for the shootings remain unclear, Goodin said.

"The only person that knows the motive is Amanda," he said.

Austin is about 35 miles north of Louisville, Kentucky.


See post for dear siblings Jasmine Abbott and Ryan Bennett.

Ryan Bennett

Mom Shot 3 Kids, Started Fire, Before Killing Herself

January 25, 2011

AUSTIN, Ind. -- A southern Indiana woman shot her three children and the family dog before setting fire to her home and fatally shooting herself, investigators said Monday as somber classmates of the slain children returned to school three days after the bodies were found.

Indiana State Police said they believe Amanda Bennett, 30, carried out the triple murder-suicide at the family's home in the Scott County town of Austin, shooting her three children and herself in the head.

Her body and those of 14-year-old Jasmine Abbott, 9-year-old Katelynn Bennett and 4-year-old Ryan Bennett were found Friday in the partially burned home after worried relatives asked police to check on the family.

State police Sgt. Jerry Goodin said Monday in a statement that the killings were "a tragic case of murder/suicide that claimed three innocent lives" along with that of the youngsters' mother, the alleged assailant.

"After shooting the children, indications are Amanda Bennett started a fire in the home and then took her own life," Goodin said Monday in a statement.

Friends and neighbors told The Courier-Journal of Louisville, Ky., that Amanda Bennett was a factory worker along with her husband, who had been laid off since last spring and moved out about a month ago from the home about 35 miles north of Louisville, Ky.

Family friend Karen Barrett told WDRB-TV in Louisville that Amanda Bennett was in the midst of a divorce from her husband but that the family had seemed close.

"He'd get out and play basketball with the kids, she'd sit out on the porch and watch `em play. You'd never know there was any family trouble, never," Barrett said.

Goodin would not comment on any possible domestic problems. Police are looking into an Internet posting that may have been from Amanda that read, in part, "Time to take away the pain. This is what you wanted, no wife and no kids."

"That is part of our investigation, so there are some things that we don't want to release," he said.

Trooper Mark LaMaster said investigators are looking into whether Amanda Bennett may have posted comments on the Internet prior to the shootings that alluded to her intention to kill her children.

Preliminary death findings showed that Amanda and Katelynn Bennett died from a combination of gunshot wound to the head and smoke inhalation. The two other siblings died from a gunshot wound to the head, Goodin said.

The family dog was shot but was recovering Monday at a veterinary clinic in Scott County, police said.

A makeshift memorial set up on the front steps of the family's modular home included a flickering candle set surrounded by teddy bears and other animals left by relatives and neighbors. Two roses also were left on the windshield of a car parked in the driveway, WAVE-TV of Louisville reported.

Betty Hensley, who lives near the family, told the station that she's at a loss to understand the killings.

"Why, why -- I'm asking why? Why did this happen to these people? I mean these were good people, why did this happen? And I don't know. I couldn't tell you. I sure don't know," Hensley said.

Extra counselors were on hand Monday as students returned to school for the first time since word of the shootings was announced Friday evening. Jasmine Abbott was a freshman at Austin High School, Katelynn was a fourth-grader and Ryan was a preschool student.

Kenneth Kidd, the assistant superintendent of the Scott County School District, said the mood was generally somber Monday at the district schools where the siblings had attended classes.

Mother, pregnant with Ryan, with two sisters

"We still have a few rambunctious ones over there today, but mostly it's somber," Kidd told WDRB.

Austin High School Principal Sherman Smith told WAVE that counselors at the school worked Monday to try to comfort mourning students but obviously could not explain for them why the tragedy occurred.

"It's a grief we don't know how to prepare for," Smith said. "We deal with it the best we can. We know what we know and that's all we know. We don't have the answers for our kids."


See post for dear siblings Jasmine Abbott and  Katelynn Bennett.

Crystal Ann Curtis

Indiana Man Gets 55-year Sentence in Wife's Slaying

Updated: Thursday, 20 Jan 2011, 3:51 PM EST

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) - A central Indiana man has been sentenced to 55 years in prison for stabbing to death his sleeping wife with an ornamental dagger.

Forty-six-year-old Thomas E. Curtis was sentenced Wednesday by a Delaware County judge who had found Curtis guilty of murder but mentally ill last month in the December 2009 killing of his 27-year-old wife, Crystal, in the couple's Muncie home.

Authorities said Curtis immediately called 911 dispatchers after the fatal attack and said, "I think I just killed my wife."

The Star Press reports that mental health professionals testified during Curtis' bench trial that he had been diagnosed with bi-polar and "intermittent explosive" disorders, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder.

Public defender Kelly Bryan said his client's "thinking was disturbed by mental illness."

UPDATE:

August 26, 2011

MUNCIE, Ind. -- The Indiana Court of Appeals has ruled that a judge wrongly sentenced a Muncie man to prison for killing his wife and that he should instead be sent to a mental hospital. The decision overturns the verdict of guilty but mentally ill on murder charges that Thomas Curtis, 47, received last year after a bench trial. It orders that he be found not guilty by reason of insanity for stabbing Crystal Curtis, 27, with an ornamental dagger while she slept in 2009.

The Star Press reported that a psychiatrist testified that Curtis might not spend much time hospitalized after going on anti-psychotic medications. The appeals court ruled that the judge's concerns over public safety weren't grounds for a guilty verdict. Delaware County prosecutors say an appeal of the ruling is unlikely.

(Commentary: Unbelievable!!!)

Rachel Wurster

 Rachel Wurster

Beech Grove Murder Was Premeditated

Police say suspect told them he'd "always hated" foster sister

January 4, 2011

Court records say the man accused of murdering his foster sister told police he went to her apartment for the express purpose of killing her.

Beech Grove police say Braxton Vaughn, 25, told them he'd "always hated" Rachel Wurster, that she was "not a good person" and treated their mother badly.

Police say Vaughn admitted choking Wurster to death in her Beech Grove apartment. They say he checked her pulse to make sure she was dead, then drove around for several hours looking for a police officer so he could turn himself in.

He finally found two officers at a Plainfield McDonald's, but had difficulty persuading them to take him into custody because he wouldn't tell them why. When an officer asked if he was wanted on a warrant, he allegedly replied, "Not yet."

The officers say Vaughn finally told them he'd killed his sister. They put him in a squad car and called Beech Grove police, who forced their way into Wurster's apartment and found her dead in the hallway.

Vaughn made his first court appearance on Tuesday on a charge of murder. Marion Superior Judge Grant Hawkins set a pretrial hearing date of February 15.

Vaughn faces 45 to 65 years in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors and family members declined comment.

See memorial page on Facebook for dear Rachel here.

Jeziah King

Jeziah King

Indiana Woman Charged In Son's Oil And Vinegar Death

December 29, 2010

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — An Indiana woman accused of feeding her young son olive oil and vinegar until he stopped breathing and died and then hiding his body more than a year has been formally charged.

Latisha Lawson, 31, of Fort Wayne faces two felony counts of battery and three felony counts of neglect of a dependent, according to a probable cause affidavit filed Tuesday in Allen County Superior Court. The document also provides details from an interview with Lawson's 10-year-old daughter, who was also allegedly neglected.

DNA results are still pending to definitively determine whether remains found Dec. 21 at a home in which Lawson was living are those of her 3-year-old son, Jezaih King. An autopsy found the cause of death for the young child found in the house to be asphyxia due to compression of the neck.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Lawson told authorities that Jezaih died more than a year ago after she gave him three doses of oil and vinegar and then held his mouth shut for 10 minutes until he stopped struggling.

No attorney for Lawson was listed in court records Wednesday. She was being held in the Allen County Jail on $130,000 bond. An initial court hearing is scheduled for Thursday.

During an initial interview, Lawson said she believed her children were possessed by demons, according to police. She also said she could not take Jezaih's temper tantrums.

Police said she told them she gave both children doses of oil and vinegar, but that she left her 10-year-old daughter alone when she spit it out.

According to the court document, the daughter told police how Lawson put Jezaih's body on a couch and called her over to say goodbye to her brother. The girl said her mother then placed Jezaih on a bed and told her to pray over her dead sibling.

A former roommate told police Jezaih died in an apartment on Nov. 19, 2009, according to court records.

Lawson was taken into custody on Dec. 21. Someone tipped off authorities about where she was after media reported that Fort Wayne police were looking for a missing family of three. Lawson's daughter was placed in protective custody.

UPDATE:

June 24, 2011

FORT WAYNE - A Fort Wayne woman who forced her 2-year-old son to drink a concoction of olive oil and vinegar because she thought it would exorcise a demon from him has been sentenced to 62 years in prison for his murder and other charges.

Latisha Lawson was convicted in May of the 2009 death of toddler Jezaih King, who died from asphyxia due to neck compression and suffocation. The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne reports that Lawson was sentenced Friday to 62 years in prison for murder, neglect and battery charges.

Allen Superior Court Judge Fran Gull said Friday that children look to parents to protect them and keep them safe, but Lawson did neither.

Lawson's roommate is scheduled to stand trial later this year on neglect and battery charges.

Kevin Mote

Ax Murderer Receives 45 Year Prison Sentence

December 20, 2010

STEUBEN COUNTY, Ind. (Indiana’s NewsCenter) - Steuben County Superior Court Judge William Fee accepted the recommended sentence of 45 years for Norma Jean Mote’s murder of her husband Kevin Mote.

Unfortunately the reason why Norma Mote murdered her husband is still not clear.

The prosecutor said in all his years, he has never once been unable to figure out why a murder was committed.

Mote's defense attorney said, “The straw that broke the camel's back, I really can't give that to the courtroom.”

Judge Fee said, “We don't know what the tipping point was.”

Norma Mote did take the stand and described a volatile relationship with her now dead husband Kevin.

She talked of years of emotional and physical abuse.

She spoke of having to sleep in a hallway to separate the children from Kevin.

She said there were arguments that day over whether Kevin had smoked marijuana and other lies, all leading up to her killing him.

Kevin Mote's twin sister Karen Friedel said that Norma and Kevin's children had all been given a life sentence.

Norma Mote's sister also took the stand saying Norma faced years of abuse recalling she could never visit her sister without Kevin's approval, and that Norma always spoke with her head down.

Also:

STEUBEN COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) - According to the Herald-Republican , Norma Mote pled guilty Monday to murdering her husband with an ax in Steuben County in December of 2009.

On December 18, 2009, police found Norma's husband, Kevin Mote, 56, dead in an upstairs bedroom of their Fox Road home and recovered an ax that the officials would later rule as the murder weapon.

Mote’s plea agreement calls for the minimum sentence under the charge of murder, 45 years.

When Mote entered the courtroom Monday morning, she wore a calm smile and waved at family members in the first row of the courtroom. She communicated silently with them a couple of times, mouthing words as she sat with the other orange-clad jail inmates.

Her court-appointed attorney, Anthony Kraus and the Steuben County prosecutor’s office proffered the plea agreement, and Steuben Superior Court Judge William Fee took it under advisement. It calls for the minimum sentence in Indiana under the charge; the maximum is 65 years and up to a $10,000 fine.

An autopsy on Kevin Mote determined a cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head resulting from numerous strikes with an ax.

Fee briefly interviewed Mote to establish preliminary probable cause for her admission.

“You called 911 to report that you had just killed your husband with the ax?” Fee asked. Mote replied in the affirmative.

“When you struck Mr. Mote with the ax do you remember these incidents?” Fee continued. Mote said yes.

Fee then asked her if she intended to kill her husband. Again, Mote answered yes.

At the time of the arrest, officers said they did not have any concrete motive for the murder, but did have a call to the residence eight years ago for domestic violence.

Steuben County Sheriff Richard Lewis said the couple's two teen-aged kids were home at the time but they were sleeping and told officers they did not hear anything.

Kevin Mote was a maintenance employee at Cameron Memorial Hospital. A hospital spokesperson said he'd been working there since 1996. A co-worker described him as a good guy who was always willing to help out.

Kraus asked for sentencing within 30 days. Mote will be in court Dec. 20 at 8:30 a.m.

Angela Dodson

 Angela Dodson

Man Arrested In Girlfriend's Killing

Woman Fatally Shot Outside Home

December 13, 2010

INDIANAPOLIS -- A man was arrested Monday in the fatal shooting of his girlfriend on the city's southeast side.  Curt Lowder, 33, was arrested on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Angela Dodson, 32.

Indianapolis police were called to St. Francis Hospital in Beech Grove just before 4 a.m., where Dodson had been taken, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head.

Police were originally told that the shooting happened at a convenience store at Southeastern Avenue and Sherman Drive, but later determined that it happened outside Dodson's home in the 1100 block of South Drexel Avenue.

Dodson was transported to Methodist Hospital from St. Francis, where she was pronounced dead a short time later.

Police questioned Lowder and said that he drove Dodson to the hospital.

"Our investigators are diligently working to ascertain the reason that led up to the shooting," said Kendale Adams, Indianapolis police public information officer.

Witnesses told police that Lowder showed up at the house to ask for alcohol before shots were fired.  Police declined to release information about a motive in the shooting.

"Once our investigators have had time to interview those folks, we will be able to come out with a determination as to what led up to this," Adams said.

Christine R. Craig

 Christine R. Craig

Farrell: "I loved that woman to death"

Defendant found guilty in Benton Co. murder trial

By Ava Wilhite, Erin Coduti
December 14, 2010

BENTON COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - UPDATE: The jury has delivered a guilty verdict for the charge of murder.  The defendant took the stand today in a Benton County trial for a man accused of murdering his fiancée last November.

The defendant, 58-year-old Steven R. Farrell, stands accused of murdering his fiancée, 40-year-old Christine Craig, on the day they had planned to marry.

In the second day of testimony on Tuesday, a witness questioned by the prosecution alleged that Farrell had raped one of Craig's family members before Craig's murder took place.

On the witness stand Thursday morning, Farrell said he had intended to marry Craig on the day of her death. However, Farrell admitted that he had sex with a relative of Craig's on the day of Craig's death. While Farrell indicated that this sex was consensual, the relative was a minor.

Farrell said that he called Craig after having sex with her minor relative because he felt guilty.

Farrell also admitted to having a gun in his hand when confronted by Craig, but said he doesn't remember pulling the trigger. Farrell claimed the gun went off when he fell, and that he had brought the gun to kill himself, not Craig.

Farrell said that he remembers Craig saying, "My god, I've been shot," but he left the state instead of helping her.

Farrell admitted to traveling to Danville, Illinois, after Craig was shot, and buying clothes, a razor, and gasoline. He also admitted to traveling to the Indianapolis International Airport, catching a cab, and buying a bus ticket to Las Vegas, Nevada. Farrell said his intention was to stay in Las Vegas for a few days.

Farrell said he then took another bus to Mesquite, Nevada. Farrell said his intention in Mesquite was to kill himself by overdosing on multiple prescription medications. Farrell was arrested while in Mesquite.

Farrell also admitted in the testimony that he was already married to a Utah resident, and said that the wedding planned with Craig was purely ceremonial.

When Farrell was cross-examined, the prosecutor asked Farrell if he had killed Craig. Farrell replied, "I'm not sure how to answer."

When the prosecutor repeated the question - "You killed her?" - Farrell replied "Yes."

The prosecution submitted as evidence a letter that Farrell wrote to a friend. In this letter, Farrell wrote that a second friend had given him a lot of ways "to do away with Christine."

When given the opportunity to respond to this letter, Farrell said, "I never wanted to kill her. I loved that woman to death."

It took a Benton County jury less than two hours to come back with a guilty verdict for Steve. R. Farrell.

The jury began deliberations at 1:45 p.m. and returned shortly after 3:10 p.m. Farrell was found guilty of murder, a felony.

While the jury was out Farrell changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on a second charge of being a felon in possession of a handgun.

Sentencing for both charges is tentatively scheduled for December 14.

Obituary

May 17, 1969 - November 27, 2009

Christine R. Craig, 40, West Lafayette, passed away at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, 2009, in Benton County.

Born May 17, 1969, she was the daughter of Cindi Armstrong Riehle and Robert Craig.

Chris loved her family and friends. She loved life itself and had a special fondness for animals. She enjoyed playing Bingo, but most of all, she just loved having fun with her kids.

Surviving with are her mother, Cindi Riehle, of Kokomo; her father and stepmother, Robert and Sharon Craig, of Tennessee; her children, Holli, Ann, Jazzlyn and Randy Travenicek, all of Lafayette;one sister, Kim Craig, Tennessee; four brothers, Patrick (Sandy) Craig, Cary Craig, of Kokomo; Rick Craig and Roger Craig; and her grandmother, Virginia Armstrong, of Logansport.

Funeral Information

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, 2009, in Fisher Funeral Chapel with celebrant Patricia Fisher officiating. Interment will follow in West Cemetery.

Friends may call from 1 p.m. until the time of services.

Donations Information

Memorial contributions may be made to the Christine Craig Memorial Fund in care of Fisher Funeral Chapel.

Melissa Field

Melissa Field

Husband Kills Wife Then Dies in Car Accident

Mother was stabbed while children were at the home. Husband left the residence and lost control of his vehicle slamming into a tree 4 blocks from the home.

By News Staff Fox59
December 13, 2010

Indianapolis - An Indianapolis mother and her husband are dead, after a violent attack followed by a car accident.

Police received a frantic 911 call to a home in the 4700 block of south Rural St just before 5:30 a.m. Sunday. When medics arrived, they found 44-year old Melissa Field dead from stab wounds.

Three children who were in the home told police the couple had a heated argument which lead to the husband, 51-year old Kevin Field becoming angry and stabbing his wife. The husband then left the home and lost control of his vehicle, slamming into a tree in the 4600 block of Carson. The suspect was killed upon impact.

Police say they have never been called to the home. The couple had two children together.

"Certainly it is one of the more tragic incidents we've had in the last six months, you know, both parents to be so violently taken out of this community, it's really sad," said IMPD spokesperson Kendale Adams.

The children are staying with nearby family members after speaking with homicide detectives.

Shirlen Dyson

Daughter Speaks Out After Father Kills Mother

Shirlen Dyson was just seconds away from her mother's house in Noblesville when her estraged husband, Vincent Dyson, shot and killed her.

October 19, 2010

Noblesville, Ind. — Shirlen Dyson was just seconds away from her mother's house in Noblesville when her estraged husband, Vincent Dyson, shot and killed her.

Police say he had followed her from her job near downtown Indianapolis and when she arrived in the subdivison, he ended her life. Then, minutes later, he killed himself near I-465 and Meridian Street in the middle of the evening rush hour.

In one day, Sheena Dyson lost both of her parents.  "I'm not angry but I am hurt. And it's a hurt I don't wish on anybody," she told Fox59's Kara Brooks.

Shirlen and Vincent had broken up 20 years ago but they reunited about year ago and got married. They lived in a northwest side neighborhood where neighbors knew something just wasn't right back in August.  "He heard some knocking in the garage and he heard her cry for help. And so when he heard that he called the police," said neighbor Michelle Perkins.

Sheena also knew there was trouble in her parent's relationship. She was very close with her mother and they talked often.  "After he hit her, she told me 'Sheena I'm scared.' I said, 'Mom you got to get out of this, you know.' She was like, 'I don't know how," said Sheena.  "Once he hit her she just finally got the courage to leave. He was acting crazy."

Shirlen got a protective order against Vincent but neighbors still saw him lurking around.  "{He} went real fast passed and then went on around. So I think he had been stalking her," said Michelle.  So she moved in with her mother to get away but he still found her.  "My momma is gone and that's hard to believe because I was just on the phone with her," said Sheena.

Sheena Dyson says her mother had a strong faith and described her as someone who always found the best in somebody.

Police: Noblesville, Carmel shootings were murder-suicide

Police now say two deadly shootings that occurred Monday in Noblesville and Carmel are connected. They're calling the incidents murder-suicide.

Marion County court records show a pending divorce and allegations of abuse leading up to the murder-suicide on Monday in Noblesville. Police say that 46-year-old Shirlen Dyson was shot and killed in her car by her husband, 46-year-old Vincent Dyson, in a Noblesville neighborhood near Verizon Wireless Music Center.

Police believe Vincent Dyson ran her off the road and fired two rounds into the vehicle, hitting Shirlen Dyson in the chest.  A short time later on I-465 in Carmel, Fishers police stopped a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle given by witnesses at the Noblesville shooting scene. Police say as they approached the car, Vincent Dyson shot himself in the head.

Shirlen Dyson filed a burglary report with Indianapolis Metro Police on August 11th after the home she shared with her husband was burglarized. That was two days after officers were called to the home for a domestic disturbance.

According to court records, Shirlen Dyson filed for a protective order the following week saying that her husband struck her and that she planned to file for divorce. The judge granted the protective order in September.prohibiting Vincent Dyson from calling or contacting his wife. Investigators are zeroing in on what was apparently a stormy relationship.  "What the situation was between the two of them and then what potentially led up to this incident," said Lt. Bruce Barnes, Noblesville Police Department.

According to court records, when Shirlen Dyson filed for protective orders, she also requested an eviction notice forcing her husband to leave the home they shared.

Lisa Pattison

Lisa Pattison

Scott Pattison indicted for murder

October 25, 2010

WABASH, 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.