Lisa Martin-Simeri

Sad news spreads over Simeri double homicide

April 18, 2010

The autopsy results from a New Carlisle couple found dead at their home this weekend indicate a homicide-suicide.

That's the word from St. Joseph County coroner Charles Hurley.

Police found Lisa Simeri shot to death Saturday in the front yard of their house in the 55000 block of Nature View Drive. On Monday officials ruled her death a homicide.

Police found Lisa's husband Nick Simeri inside the home with a gunshot wound to the head. Hurley told FOX 28 the evidence indicates the wound was self-inflicted. Nick was the owner of Simeri's Old Town Tap, on South Bend's west side. That bar is closed until further notice.

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Previously posted on FOX28.com

The Simeris were well known in Michiana. Their death was shocking news to people who knew them and those who live nearby the Simeri's Old Town Tap. It seems as if everyone is still trying to piece together what exactly happened Saturday evening. Many woke up Sunday morning confused, surprised, and saddened.

"I walk the blocks and I always go by there," said neighbor Ferneshia Guiden.

But on Saturday night and Sunday South Bend's Ferneshia Guiden saw a strange sight. Simeri's Old Town Tap is closed indefinitely pending investigation.

"It's a shocker to be honest," said neighbor Delshaune Cotton.

Saturday evening police found 50-year-old Nicholas Simeri and his wife 49-year-old Lisa Martin-Simeri both shot to death in their New Carlisle home. Nicholas owned this bar on South Bend's west side.

"You would never think anything like that would take place," said Ferneshia.

Guiden and her nephew Delshaune Cotton both live just blocks away from the bar. A place that Cotton says was very popular.

"It's packed I see a lot of people at the door," said Cotton.

Instead of long lines, the bar is now empty. But those who knew the Simeri's won't let the family suffer alone. One person left flowers and a handwritten note to the family on the bar's front steps. The Simeri's Facebook page was filled with comments of disbelief and sadness from people who knew the couple or those who hung out in the bar. As the news travels, so does the sorrow.

"It's quiet around here you don't have anything out of the ordinary around here," said Guiden.

Now, Guiden says the community will be missing a key element.

"Actually, it's part of the neighborhood," said Guiden.

A neighborhood left asking many questions, hoping police will be able to find the answers.

"Hopefully they'll get to the bottom of it and see what happened," said Cotton.

Police stress Sunday night that this is being treated as a double homicide and not as a murder-suicide because the investigation is still ongoing. The autopsy results on the couples's bodies are slated to be completed Monday.

Obituary:

Lisa Jane Martin-Simeri, 49, of New Carlisle, IN, passed away on Saturday, April 17, 2010 at her home. Lisa was born on August 22, 1960 in Louisville, KY to Jim and Vera Taylor-Skaggs. She moved to South Bend in 1984 and had lived in New Carlisle since 2002. Lisa was the Director of Operations for RLC of Michiana (Taco Bell). Survivors include her parents Jim and Vera Skaggs of Louisville, KY; four sons, Tim Martin, Daniel Martin, and Kyle Martin all of South Bend, IN and Jordan Martin of New Carlisle, IN; four sisters, Debbie (Angie) Skaggs, Terri (Doug) Uhling, Julie (Tim) Dalton, and Kim (Steve) Hardin all of Louisville, KY; and one brother, Jimmy (Deborah) Skaggs of Louisville, KY. Funeral Services will be held at 2 p.m., Thursday, April 22, 2010 in the New Carlisle Wesleyan Church. Friends may call from 2-4 & 6-8 p.m. Wednesday in the Kaniewski Funeral Home, 201 S. Filbert Street, New Carlisle, IN. Friends may also call from 1 until 2 p.m. Thursday in the New Carlisle Wesleyan Church. Lisa was a member of the Granger Community Church. She was a volunteer at the Center for the Homeless in South Bend and the St. Joseph County Fair. She enjoyed landscaping and gardening. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Martin Family Children, c/o Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N. Bendix Drive, South Bend, IN 46628. To send online condolences, please visit Kaniewski.com. The family would like to ask everyone to either bring purple flowers, wear purple, etc. in honor of Lisa Martin.

Beverly Thompson

Beverly Thompson

Dyer man charged in wife's slaying

Liquor store owner, worker accused of murder

April 13, 2010

DYER | Burdened by thousands of dollars in recent gambling debts, the 61-year-old owner of a south suburban liquor store enlisted the help of an employee Friday to kill his wife in their Dyer home and make it look like a burglary, prosecutors alleged Monday.

Douglas A. Thompson, 61, of 632 Hillside Drive, and his employee Reginald Coleman, 56, of 1945 Hart St. in Dyer, were charged in the death of 62-year-old Beverly Thompson. Her daughter found Thompson dead about 6 p.m. Friday in the Hillside Drive home.

Douglas Thompson, who owns Torrence Discount Liquor and Deli in Lynwood, lost more than $62,000 at Majestic Star Casino in Gary between March 10 and Wednesday, and the investigation revealed his business is failing financially, according to a probable cause affidavit filed Monday. The daughter told police her parents lived together but argued a lot.

Police found Beverly Thompson on an upper level landing of the home in a pool of blood, with a large wound to the back of her head. Investigators said dresser drawers and closet doors were opened, but it appeared as though nothing inside was disturbed. Kitchen drawers were pulled out, but a purse and bank bag with more then $1,100 also were left untouched, according to the affidavit.

The Thompsons own the home where Coleman lives. There, police said they found bloody jeans that are the same brand, waist size and inseam as Thompson's while executing a search warrant Saturday. The jeans were at the bottom of a yard waste bag, along with socks and a shirt, investigators said. Several pieces of Beverly Thompson's jewelry were found hidden within a heating and cooling unit in a pickup truck at the Hart Street property, according to the affidavit.

Inside Coleman's residence, a T-shirt hung over a shower rod, a pair of tan pants were inside the washing machine and a pair of tan work boots in the living room were stained and smelled strongly of bleach, investigators said. When police removed the pants from the washing machine, Coleman started to get chest pains and was taken to the hospital, where he was medically cleared, the affidavit states.

Surveillance footage from a neighbor's house shows Thompson arrived home at 3:20 p.m. Friday and his wife arrived home about 25 minutes later, police said. At 4:32 p.m. Douglas Thompson was seen driving away from the residence, according the affidavit.

The daughter told police she last spoke to her mother by cell phone about 3:30 p.m.

The Lake County coroner's office said Beverly Thompson died of blunt force trauma to the head. The cause of death was ruled a homicide.

The couple had been married more than 40 years.

Leroy Johnson Jr.

Johnson Found Guilty in Brother's December Murder

He could face 67-123 years in prison when he's sentenced June 1

April 29, 2010

Crime-scene technicians collected 25 shell casings in Leroy Johnson Jr.'s apartment, scattered around the 27-year-old man's bullet-riddled body Dec. 16.

A pathologist removed several bullet chips from Johnson's brain and body, and technicians found several more scattered in walls and floors in his apartment and a neighboring one.

After deliberating nine hours, an Allen Superior Court jury found Johnson's brother, Brandon L. Johnson, 22, guilty of murder, attempted murder and battery. He could face 67-123 years in prison when he's sentenced June 1.

As Allen County Deputy Prosecutor Jeffrey Stineburg explained it to the jury, the shooter “absolutely unloaded” a hail of gunfire inside the small, one-bedroom apartment at 4054 Wayne Trace for, according to two days of witness testimony, seemingly no good reason. Four bullets went into Leroy Johnson in the melee, and another six went into his friend, Clifton Davis, critically injuring him as he hid behind a bathroom door.

That door stood propped in the center of the courtroom Wednesday, where Brandon Johnson – Davis' best friend – was being tried. With blood smeared on it and 20 bullet holes in it, the off-white door served as critical evidence of the crime that took place in the apartment.

“We do know what this is,” said Stineburg in his closing arguments to the jury, mocking the phrase witnesses said Brandon Johnson shouted before firing round after round.

“This is murder. The defendant murdered his own brother. The defendant tried to kill Clifton Davis.

“We do know what this is, and it's the defendant's guilt.”

No motive is known for what triggered Brandon Johnson's shooting spree that mid-December day. No one could offer insight into why he would put a “mini assault rifle” to his brother's head and send a bullet ripping through Leroy Johnson's brain, or why he would send another through the other side of the man's head and another through his groin that ruptured the femoral artery – all three fatal shots.

No witness could understand why Brandon Johnson would then pump 20 more shots through the bathroom door that Davis had scrambled to hide behind, six bullets entering him and at least five more, after pummeling through the door, spiraling through the bathroom wall and into a neighboring apartment.

Throughout the trial, prosecutors and Brandon Johnson's defense attorney, John Bohdan, mocked the phrase that witnesses attributed to the younger Johnson before they say he fired: “You know what this is,” although both acknowledged they really didn't at all. In fact, none of the six people inside the apartment who testified knew what it was.

Bohdan argued that no one in the apartment that day, not even Davis, saw Brandon Johnson pull the trigger, despite every person testifying he saw Brandon Johnson with the 18-inch assault rifle used in the crime. Police never found the rifle.

Bohdan also pleaded to the jury that none of Brandon Johnson's DNA or fingerprints were found in the apartment, though every visitor testified to him being there. Bohdan even hinted that two other people supposedly in the apartment that day curiously were not called as witnesses by the prosecution.

“On this evidence we still don't know what this is,” Bohdan said during his closing.

Deputy Prosecutor Steve Godfrey, in his own closing, said just the opposite, daring the jury to come up with any reason any witness could have to lie, citing how all those who testified had remained in the courtroom because they were emotionally invested in the case's outcome.

“Who talked to police after this happened? Who was hiding?” Godfrey said, referring to multiple witness accounts of Brandon Johnson being found by Fort Wayne Police SWAT holed up in an apartment attic two days later. “Does that sound like an innocent person?”

No, a jury ultimately decided.

Kathryn Tucker

Indiana State Police Respond to an Apparent Murder Suicide Investigation

BEDFORD, IN - At 8:36 a.m. on May 19, 2009, the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department responded to a shots fired call at 1051 Trenton Circle, Bedford. Upon their arrival deputies discovered a male and female subject deceased from apparent gunshot wounds. The male subject was recognized by deputies as a Bedford Police Officer, an agency the Sheriffs Department works closely with. This prompted the Lawrence County Sheriff to contact the Indiana state Police Bloomington Post to head up the investigation.

Preliminary investigations indicate Kathryn R. Tucker, 29 had recently ended a relationship with Kyle Brown, 35. On the morning of Tuesday May 19, Mr. Brown drove his personal vehicle to her residence at which time he made entry into her home.

According to the Lawrence County Coroner, John Sherrill, both subjects died from apparent gunshot wounds. Mr. Brown's fatal wound appeared to be consistent with a self inflicted one.

Family members have been notified.

Caleb Lynch

Caleb Lynch

Two Kids Dead, Mother's Fiance Arrested in Overnight Fire

Reported by: Web Producer

Saturday, April 10 2010

UPDATE: Deputies were dispatched to 10400 Fisher Rd. just before 4 AM to assist the German Township Fire Department with a fully engulfed house fire.

Neighbors told deputies Jeffrey Weisheit, his fiance Lisa Lynch and her two young children, Alyssa and Caleb, live there. Deputies found Lynch at work. She told them Weisheit and the kids should be at home. She described his vehicle, which was not at the house. Deputies searched for, but could not find, Weisheit.

A deputy with the Boone County, Kentucky Sheriff's Office saw Weisheit in Kentucky. The deputy went after him, and Weisheit sped away. Several agencies were finally able to stop him using stop sticks. Weisheit got out of the vehicle with a knife out. Officers used a taser to subdue him.

Weisheit was taken to the hospital were he was treated for injuries he got when he fell to the ground after being stunned. He is now in a hospital in Ohio.

Vanderburgh County deputies were dispatched to Boone County to talk to Weisheit. They got a warrant to search his vehicle. Firefighters, deputies, representatives of the state fire marshal's office, EFD's arson unit and Ohio Valley Search and Rescue spent the day searching of the burned home. They found the bodies of the two badly burned children.

The bodies have been taken to the Vanderburgh County Coroner's Office for autopsy and identification. The initial evidence shows that the fire was intentionally set. And, during an interview with deputies, Weisheit indicated he was the one who set it. He also indicated he knew the kids were there at the time.

Weisheit is being charged with two counts of murder and one count of arson. He'll face additional charges in Kentucky for trying to run from law enforcement.

The sheriff's office is working to have him extradited back to Vanderburgh County as quickly as possible.

PREVIOUS: Dispatchers say a fire broke out before dawn at 10400 Fischer Rd. in northern Vanderburgh County. The entire house was destroyed. Officials say two people living there have not been found. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Sheriff Eric Williams says the burned home is being treated as a crime scene. We'll have the latest information on FOX 7 News at 5:30.


Obituary:

Alyssa and Caleb Lynch

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Alyssa Michelle Lynch, 8, and Caleb Alexander Lynch, 5, were delivered into the arms of the Lord on April 10, 2010.

Alyssa was born on March 14, 2002, in Evansville. She attended second grade at Cynthia Heights School. Alyssa was always a "little princess" to her mom and dad. She was a smart, beautiful, caring and loving girl. She could bring sunshine to any rainy day with just a smile. Alyssa loved playing guitar, drawing, coloring and making homemade cards for everyone. She would often draw pictures that included every member of her family together. Alyssa enjoyed writing and reading, especially her beloved "Junie B. Jones" books. She would stay up late at night by her lamp just so she could read her books or write in her journal. Alyssa loved school and all her friends there, including her best friend, Bailey Brush. She adored her little brother, Caleb, since the moment he was born.

Caleb was born on Feb. 2, 2005. in Evansville. He attended Salem Pre-school. He was a sweet, tender-hearted boy who loved giving hugs. Caleb brought out the best in other people. He was so sweet, loving and handsome. Caleb liked helping Mommy cook, and although he had a sweet tooth, he always ate his veggies. He was her "love bug." Both Caleb and Alyssa enjoyed playing on the beach and in the ocean while visiting Daddy. Full of energy and life, Caleb could always make others smile and laugh. He was all boy — loving trains, trucks, planes, dirt, bugs and the outdoors. He loved riding on the 4-wheeler with his neighbor and buddy, "Big Jon." Caleb loved his sister, Alyssa, very much. Alyssa and Caleb were truly two angels on earth.

Survivors include their parents, Lisa Lynch of Evansville and Steve Lynch of Florida; grandparents, Rick and Marcia Mullen, Joseph Lynch Jr. and Leona J. Taylor; uncles, Jeffrey Mullen and Joseph Lynch III; aunt, Melinda (Chris) Smith; several cousins; and their cat, Figaro, and their chihuahua, Jose.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 pm Thursday, April 15, at Sunset Funeral Home. Private funeral services will be held at a later date, with burial following in Sunset Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made on behalf of Alyssa and Caleb Lynch at any Old National Bank branch, where funds will be donated to Cynthia Heights School, Salem Pre-School and Holly's House.

Published in Courier Press on April 14, 2010

Also see post for dear sister Alyssa Lynch.

Alyssa Lynch

Alyssa Lynch

Man accused of killing children is back in Vanderburgh County

• By Mark Wilson
• Posted April 12, 2010 at 9:13 a.m.

The Evansville man suspected of killing two children in a fire early Saturday could face the death penalty if convicted.

Jeffrey Weisheit will appear in a Vanderburgh County court this morning to face formal charges in the fire that killed 8-year-old Alyssa Lynch and her brother, Caleb, 5. A probable cause affidavit indicates at least one the children may have been bound.

“Obviously this is a potential death penalty case,” said Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Stan Levco. “It’s something I’ll be considering in the next two to three weeks.”

Weisheit appeared in court in Hamilton County, Ohio, on Monday where he waived extradition. He was booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail at 7 p.m. Monday and placed on suicide watch. When he is arraigned this morning, he is expected to face murder and arson charges.

On Monday, neighbors sifted through the scant, charred remains of the three-bedroom house on 10040 Fischer Road for anything they could salvage for the children’s mother, Lisa Lynch, who was at work when the fire began.

Next-door neighbor Kevin Glaser assembled a memorial to the children at the corner of the property — still surrounded by yellow police tape — that included flowers, stuffed animals, rock markers with their names, candles, crosses and plastic children’s sunglasses.

Friends said Lynch and her children moved in with Weisheit about a year ago and they appeared happy. Neighbor Jon Boring said they bought a four-wheeler a week ago to ride with the children.

“They brought it over and showed it to us,” he said.

Boring said he often saw the children playing outside.

“They were great kids, full of life, inquisitive,” he said. “They were always outside on the swing set or wanting to ride on the riding lawn mower.”

Boring said he has known Weisheit for nearly 20 years and had no indication that anything was wrong.

“I saw him about 5:30 p.m. that night (Friday) and he said he was going to watch a movie with the kids,” he said.

Alyssa Lynch was a second-grader at Cynthia Heights Elementary School in northern Vanderburgh County. The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. crisis team of local counselors was at the school Monday, meeting with pupils who want to talk about their emotions.

About 12 children have thus far met with members of the counseling team, and “teachers have done a great job working with students in the classroom,” said Marsha Jackson, EVSC director of communications.

Several children at Cynthia Heights “understand (Alyssa) is not there, but they don’t understand the permanence,” Jackson said.

Weisheit, son of retired Evansville Police Department Lt. Bert Weisheit and a member of Laborers Local 561, bought the house in June 2008. Until March 25, he worked as a contract laborer for Industrial Contractors Inc. at a job at SABIC Innovative Plastics in Mount Vernon, Ind., said Denny Quinn, president of Industrial Contractors.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Weisheit was supposed to watch the children while Lynch was at work from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m., and then take them to Lynch’s parents house so he could go to work.

When deputies arriving at the fire scene realized that had not occurred and that Weisheit and his car were missing, they were able to locate it in Boone County, Ky., after Lynch called its OnStar emergency assistance service.

Weisheit was stopped by police in Kenton County, Ky., on Saturday after a chase.

The children’s bodies were found inside the house. An autopsy has indicated they died of smoke inhalation, according to the Vanderburgh County Coroner’s office, indicating that they were alive when the fire was set.

One of the children was found in a bedroom with two burned flares found near or under the body, according to the affidavit, and duct tape was also found that “may be evidence that the person had been bound in some fashion with the duct tape.”

Detective Randy Chapman of the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office interviewed Weisheit at University Hospital in Cincinnati. According to the affidavit, Weisheit said he had planned to leave the house a week before and that he did not want to take the “kids” with him.

Weisheit consistently stated he did not remember what happened to the children, according to the affidavit, but when asked if he set the fire, “Weisheit indicated that he had in fact set the fire.”

Weisheit also indicated he had not been drinking or taking drugs, according to the affidavit. Weisheit then ended the interview by indicating he wanted a lawyer.

Chapman worked with northern Kentucky police to get a search warrant for Weisheit’s car and a suitcase visible inside it.

Duct tape was also observed in the vehicle, according to the affidavit.

Weisheit was arrested after he confronted authorities and had to be stopped with a stun gun. He was taken to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Edgewood, Ky., before being transferred to University Hospital.

He still faces two counts of attempted murder on a police officer in Erlanger, Ky.

Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders said if Weisheit receives anything less than the death penalty from the Indiana case, he will be brought back to Kentucky to face attempted murder charges.

Staff writers Lydia X. McCoy and John Martin and the Kentucky Enquirer contributed to this report.

Also see the obituary for both children and the post for dear brother Caleb Lynch here.

Heather Norris

Heather Norris

Governor Mitch Daniels to sign dating-violence law

Associated Press

Posted: April 12, 2010

Gov. Mitch Daniels plans to hold a ceremonial signing for a bill designed to encourage schools to address dating violence.The so-called "Heather's Law" was enacted during the past legislative session and is named after Heather Norris of Indianapolis. The 20-year-old Norris was murdered by her estranged high school boyfriend in 2007. He was sentenced to 68 years in prison.

The law requires the Indiana Department of Education to develop dating violence educational materials, and model dating violence response and reporting policies.

The department must make the models available by July 1, 2011, to assist schools with the implementing dating violence education programs and policies for grades six through 12.

The ceremonial signing is set for this afternoon in the governor's office.

See the website for Heather here.

Indy Police Release Gruesome Details Of Woman's Death

Police: Man Stabbed, Burned, Dismembered Estranged Girlfriend

POSTED: 4:55 pm EDT May 28, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis Metro police released new details Monday about what they called an especially violent homicide.Detectives said Joshua Bean, 23, admitted to fatally stabbing his estranged girlfriend, Heather Norris, 20, (pictured) and cutting up her body.Investigators said Bean told them he burned Norris' body and separated her remains into as many as 10 plastic trash bags, disposing of those bags in the trash bins of several businesses on Indianapolis' south side.

Norris, the daughter of a civilian employee of IMPD, was reported missing April 24, less than two weeks after police said they believe she was killed. Investigators said they think Norris went to Bean's home on the city's far-east side on or before April 13, when they believe she was stabbed, burned and dismembered." It was a full, detailed confession, including every step that he took to not only dispose of the body, but also covering up the crime scene," said IMPD Detective Todd Lappin.

Bean had recently moved into the home. A neighbor told 6News' Jack Rinehart that he had a conversation with Bean about building a fire pit and getting rid of the plastic bags." He had stuff in a truck -- cardboard and stuff. I never looked at it," said Marvin McClain. " He said, 'I'm going to different places and getting rid of the cardboard.'" Police said Norris and Bean had a three-year relationship marked by several domestic violence calls to police. Bean was to have gone on trial next week in a case in which he allegedly gave Norris a concussion in November 2006.

Joshua Bean

"

Heather was your typical picture of a battered woman who would continuously go back," said IMPD homicide Detective Leisia Moore. Norris' family is having difficulty coping with her death." I'm hoping that the community will help," said Lt. Teresa Deal, Norris' cousin. " I'm sure that they will if they can in attempting to locate Heather's remains. The family does need that for closure."

Investigators are looking for Norris' body. Police asked anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at 317-262-TIPS.Bean was arrested Saturday after police said they received information that he was about to leave the state.

Bean's Friend: There Were Numerous Signs Of Trouble

Bean's friend, Evan Webber, told 6News that he was recently in Bean's home and though something wasn't right." The carpet around the basement area had all been burned, torched and removed, and the bathroom had been painted," Webber said. " He also had deep cuts on his hands." Webber said he knew Bean and Norris had a tumultuous relationship." I asked him even straight to his face, 'Did you kill her?' (He said) 'No.'"

"It's unbelievable," Webber said. "All they need was to never talk to each other again."

Previous Stories:

• May 27, 2007: Police: Man Admits Killing Missing Indy Woman

Jessica Berg

Jessica Berg

Victim sought restraining order day before slaying

April 10, 2010

By Daniel Human, Kokomo Tribune staff writer

Kokomo — One of the women found dead Friday in a Courtland Avenue home placed a restraining order the day before against the man who police arrested in connection with the triple homicide investigation.

Lt. Don Whitehead, a spokesman for the Kokomo Police Department, confirmed this afternoon he was aware of the restraining order, but he had no further details.

According to online court records, Jessica Berg, 28, Gas City, filed on Thursday a petition for an order of protection against Jeremy M. Blanchard, 30, Gas City.

Berg, along with her mother, Rebecca Berg, 57, and David McPike, 62, were found dead Friday morning in McPike’s home in the 1500 block of Courtland Avenue.

Kokomo police sent out a nationwide announcement that the department was looking for Blanchard as a “person of interest” in the investigation. Kentucky State Police arrested him in London, Ky., later that night.

Whitehead would not comment on Blanchard’s association with any of the victims.

The Howard County coroner was conducting an autopsy of the victims this afternoon. Results likely won’t be available until early Sunday, Whitehead said.

Also see posts for Rebecca Berg and David McPike.

David McPike

David McPike

Victims Identified In Kokomo Triple Slaying

Police Release New Information In Killings

POSTED: 1:47 pm EDT April 10, 2010

KOKOMO, Ind. -- The identities of three people who were found slain in a Kokomo home on Friday morning were released on Saturday as police provided some additional details of the investigation.

The bodies of David McPike, 62, of Kokomo, Rebecca Berg, 57, and Jessica Berg, 28, both of Gas City, were found in a home in the 1500 block of South Courtland Avenue.Kokomo police Lt. Don Whitehead said Rebecca and Jessica were in Kokomo to attend a family member’s funeral and had spent the night in McPike’s home.

The bodies were found by someone who came to pick the three victims up for the funeral, police said. Jeremy Blanchard, 30, of Gas City, who police called a person of interest in the case, was taken into custody in London, Ky., on Friday night.

Police did not release information about how the victims died, but an autopsy was being conducted on Saturday, with results expected on Sunday. The bodies were found in different rooms of the home.

Blanchard was held on warrants for a probation violation and intimidation, but he was not arrested in connection with the slayings. According to Indiana Department of Correction records, Blanchard served four years in prison for a battery conviction in 1996, and was sentenced to 16 years in prison for several counts of attempted burglary and burglary in 2000. He was released in September 2009.

Neighbors told 6News that McPike had lived in the home for quite some time, and had recently retired."(He was a) super nice guy. Something you wouldn't expect to happen to him," said neighbor Lee Newcome.

Blanchard was the ex-boyfriend of Jessica Berg, officials said. A restraining order had been filed against him on Thursday in Grant County. Police asked anyone with information about the case to call Kokomo police at 765-456-7017 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.


Also see posts for Jessica Berg and Rebecca Berg.

Rebecca Berg

Three Bodies Found Inside Kokomo Home

A person of interest in connection with a triple homicide in Kokomo was picked up late Friday in Kentucky.

Heather MacWilliams, Fox59.com

4:17 PM EDT, April 9, 2010

KOKOMO, IN - UPDATE: 30 year-old Jeremy Blanchard of Gas City, Indiana was picked up late Friday in London, Kentucky.

Police in Kokomo are investigating a triple homicide at 1523 South Courtland Street.

A family member found the bodies of a man and two women early Friday morning. The family member was on the way to a funeral and had arrived at the home to pick up the three victims.

Kokomo Police Saturday identified the victims as 62-year-old David McPike, 57-year-old Rebecca Berg, and 28-year-old Jessica Berg.

Rebecca Berg and her daughter Jessica had come to Kokomo from Gas City to attend a family member's funeral and were spending the night at Mr. McPike's residence on Thursday.

Obituary:

April 14, 2010

Rebecca S. Berg

Aug. 28, 1952 - April 9, 2010

— Rebecca S. Berg, 57, Gas City, died on Friday, April 9, 2010, in Kokomo. Ms. Berg was born in Kokomo on Aug. 28, 1952, to the late Wilfred Eric and Charline (Mills) Harvey.

She was a 1970 graduate of Haworth High School and received a completion certificate from business school. Ms. Berg lived in Grant County for the past 30 years and worked in the radiology department for Marion General Hospital. She was passionate about exercise and loved dogs, especially her golden retriever, Truman. In her leisure time, she enjoyed spending time with her fiance, David McPike.

She is survived by son, Eric P. (Mary Condes) Berg, West Lafayette; grandson, Alexander J. Fritch; and brother, Randy Lee (Tia) Harvey, Fort Wayne.

In addition to her parents, Ms. Berg was preceded in death by her daughter, Jessica A. Berg, and her fiance, David McPike.

Services are 3 p.m. Saturday at Owen-Weilert-Duncan Funeral Home, Gas City Chapel, 200 N. 7th St., with Pastor Bill Campbell officiating. Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Gas City.

Friends may leave online condolences for the family at www.owenweilertduncan.com.

Also see posts for Jessica Berg and David McPike.

Kathryne Kay Bledsoe

Kathryne Kay Bledsoe

Man Killed Wife After She Filed For Divorce

POSTED: 11:55 am EST January 13, 2010

REELSVILLE, Ind. -- A man who police said fatally shot his estranged wife after she filed for divorce was arrested late Wednesday evening.

Indiana State Police Sgt. Rich Myers said the shooting happened at about 10:30 a.m. in the 7800 block of County Road 625 West at home where Jeremy Bledsoe, 31, and Kathryne Kay Bledsoe, 32, lived with their three children and Jeremy Bledsoe's grandmother.

Police said that the couple's 3-year-old and 20-month-old children were inside the home at the time, along with Jeremy Bledsoe's grandmother, who called 911. They were not injured.

In the aftermath of the shooting, authorities locked down Reelsville Elementary School across the street from the home, where the third of the couple's children was in class at the time.

Jeremy Bledsoe was taken into custody at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday in Owen County, police said. He pleaded not guilty in court on Thursday.

A relative of the victim told 6News' Jack Rinehart that she had recently filed for divorce and that there had been trouble in the home before." They've been married for quite some time, but they did have issues and I knew him to be aggressive, yes," said Shelli Gillespie, Kathryne Bledsoe's sister in law.

Jeremy Bledsoe does not have a criminal record, but does have a history of mental health issues, police said. Jeremy Bledsoe was being held without bond on a murder charge Thursday in the Putnam County Jail in Greencastle.

Michelle Brown

Woman brain dead after Monday night shooting

by STAN MADDUX

Times Correspondent | Posted: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 12:00 am

MICHIGAN CITY

A Michigan City woman is dead from a gunshot and the father of two of her children -- currently hospitalized -- is charged with murder.

Michelle Brown, 29, was declared brain dead just before 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at St. Anthony Memorial Health Center, according to Michigan City Police Detective Bureau Commander Lt. Sue Harrison.

Randolph Sanders II, 31, was charged about 2 p.m. when a judge in LaPorte Superior Court 1 found sufficient evidence to bring him to trial.

Sanders was still in the intensive care unit Tuesday afternoon at the same hospital.

Harrison said she did not know his official condition or prognosis.

According to police, officers responded to Normandy Village Apartments on the city's south side Monday just after 5 p.m.

Harrison said Sanders and Brown were inside a vehicle in the parking lot when he shot her once in the head then turned the gun on himself.

Harrison said an argument led up to the shooting but what led to the fight was not fully clear.

According to police, inside another vehicle nearby were three children including two boys, ages 6 and 2, the sons of Sanders and Brown.

Jennifer Parrett

Jennifer Parrett

Man kills girlfriend, then self

Mom shot leaving Wabash home with 2 sons in car

Published: March 10, 2010 3:00 a.m.

Holly Abrams
The Journal Gazette

A Wabash man shot his girlfriend to death – while she was backing her car out of their driveway with their two children in tow – before killing himself Monday, police said.

Wabash County officials have ruled the deaths a homicide-suicide. Jennifer Parrett, 27, and Ryan Hunt, 30, each died of a single gunshot wound, Coroner Carol Whitesel said.

Police were called to their home at 745 Courtland Ave. in Wabash just after 6:30 p.m. Monday. A next-door neighbor saw a vehicle crash into a tree stump outside the home, Wabash police detective Jim Kirk said.

The neighbor called 911 before seeing Hunt shoot himself in the head in a grassy area about 50 yards from the driveway, Kirk said.

An officer arrived at the home moments before Hunt took his life, although the officer did not witness the suicide. A .410 bore shotgun was found on the ground next to Hunt’s body, along with an empty shell casing, Kirk said.

Moments earlier, Hunt shot Parrett as she tried to back out of the driveway. Parrett was shot in her left armpit through the driver’s-side window. The Chevrolet Lumina sedan she was driving rolled into a stump in the home’s yard after she was shot.

The couple’s two sons, ages 3 and 4, got out of the car and ran into the home, Kirk said.

It was at that time police received the 911 call, he said.

The slaying was the result of a domestic dispute the couple had after Parrett arrived at the home with the boys so that Hunt could visit them, Kirk said. Police declined to release additional details on the dispute.

After shooting his girlfriend, Hunt made a call to a family member, telling that person what he had done and that he was going to kill himself, Kirk said. The relative pleaded with Hunt not to do anything to himself, police said.

Police said Parrett and Hunt had dated for about seven years and had an “on-and-off relationship.” Police had been called to that same Courtland Avenue home in December to stand by as Parrett said at the time she was moving out of the home.

Some of Parrett’s belongings were found in the car Monday, police said.

Both Parrett and Hunt were pronounced dead at the scene. The couple’s children are staying with other family members, police said.

Parrett’s death is the second Wabash County homicide in less than a year.

The last one was in June.

Randy J. Woodyard

Randy J. Woodyard

Man Dead After Girlfriend Stabbed Him During Fight

Sister Found Man's Body

POSTED: 7:10 am EST December 24, 2008

INDIANAPOLIS -- A man was stabbed to death by his girlfriend when the couple got into a fight, police said.

Randy J. Woodyard, 43, was pronounced dead just after 2:30 a.m., said Sgt. Matthew Mount. His sister found his body inside at home at 1137 S. Keystone Ave.Police said Woodyard had been staying at the address for a couple of days with his girlfriend, Kelly J. Pappas, 38.

She was later found at 1030 Churchman Ave., where she was arrested and preliminarily charged with murder.

Mount said the couple had gotten in a fight and that Pappas had stabbed Woodyard in the chest.

Nicole Scheiber

Nicole Scheiber

Murder suicide ruled in Roanoke deaths

Updated: Friday, 10 Apr 2009, 10:35 PM EDT
Published : Thursday, 09 Apr 2009, 4:17 PM EDT

by Matt McCutcheon

ROANOKE, Ind. (WANE) - According to the Huntington County Sheriff's Department, two bodies were found inside a mobile home park in Roanoke late Thursday morning. It's a story NewsChannel 15 first broke on First at Five.

Around 11:30 am, the Roanoke Town Marshal was called to the Castle Hill Mobile Home Park at 15 Duke Boulevard for a welfare check on the residents.

Inside, police found the bodies of 26 year old Jeremy Stroh and 25 year old Nicole Scheiber. Stroh apparently shot Scheiber multiple times before turning the gun on himself.

The coroner says when Scheiber didn't show up for work, her employer called police.

There's no evidence that anyone else was involved.

Nicole's obituary here.