Indiana man charged with welfare fraud over hidden body
A northern Indiana man faces welfare fraud and other charges alleging that he hid his father’s body for two years so that he could cash his father’s benefit checks.
Elkhart County
Articles
Indiana COVID-19 deaths hit daily high, toll rises to 300
The number of deaths in Indiana from coronavirus reached 300 Friday, the second straight day that fatalities reached a new high. More than 100 people have died in Indianapolis, the Indiana Department of Health reported.
Indiana COVID-19 deaths surpass 100; prisons, 29 nursing homes affected
More than 100 people have died of coronavirus in Indiana, the state Department of Health reported Friday morning, a day after officials confirmed that residents at 29 Indiana nursing homes have been diagnosed with COVID-19, as had inmates at an unspecified number of correctional facilities.
Indiana COVID-19 death toll rises to 78, cases top 3,000
Thirteen more people have died in Indiana from coronavirus-related illnesses, raising the state’s virus death toll to 78 as state health officials said Thursday that more than 3,000 Hoosiers have tested positive for COVID-19.
Indiana coronavirus cases rise to 477 in state with 14 deaths
The Indiana State Department of Health on Wednesday morning said the number of presumptive positive cases for COVID-19 in the state has risen to 477 after the emergence of 112 more cases. The statewide death toll overnight rose from 12 Tuesday to 14.
Elkhart considers new $500K legal bill for suit over overturned conviction
A northern Indiana city is weighing spending another $500,000 to defend itself against a lawsuit filed by a man whose attempted murder conviction was thrown out because prosecutors didn’t disclose that the state’s sole eyewitness underwent hypnosis to sharpen his memory.
DNA under victim’s nails leads to arrest in 2000 Indianapolis killing
A northern Indiana man has been charged in the 2000 killing of a man found dead in an Indianapolis hotel room after his DNA matched DNA found beneath the victim’s fingernails, prosecutors said.
COA orders new trial on repeat sexual, habitual criminal offender enhancements
The Indiana Court of Appeals has vacated a man’s habitual offender adjudications and remanded them for a new trial after finding he did not personally waive his right to a jury trial on the two enhancements.
Elkhart judge rejects fatal crash plea, surprising victim’s parents
A northern Indiana judge has rejected a man’s plea agreement in a fatal 2015 car crash, frustrating the victim’s parents, who say they want the long-running case behind them.
Expungement wait-time case sparks confusion during oral argument
Questions about whether minor felonies reduced to misdemeanor convictions should trigger new five-year waiting periods for people seeking a criminal expungement caused confusion Thursday among some members of the Indiana Supreme Court.
Elkhart woman pleads guilty to fatally shooting man
A northern Indiana woman has pleaded guilty in the fatal 2018 shooting of a man whose body was dumped in a wooded area. Cindy Goodwin, 52, pleaded guilty Thursday in Elkhart Circuit Court to one count of murder in the slaying of Johnny Mullins, 50.
Indiana House backs abolishing all township assessor offices
The Indiana House has voted to eliminate the last remaining township assessor offices around the state.
Justices agree to hear extended expungement-wait case
Indiana Supreme Court justices have agreed to hear a case that sharply divided an appellate panel concerning whether minor felonies reduced to misdemeanor convictions should trigger new five-year waiting periods for individuals seeking a criminal expungement.
Elkhart family files negligence lawsuit in mother’s death
The children of a woman who was fatally shot by a fellow resident of a northern Indiana apartment complex are suing the apartment’s management company, alleging that it failed to protect their mother from the gunman despite knowing of his “peculiar and abhorrent behavior.”
Report: Elkhart Police Department must track use of force
A northern Indiana city’s police department has a reputation for the rough treatment of residents and offending officers are seldom held accountable, according to an external review conducted following the release of video showing two officers repeatedly punching a handcuffed man.
COA: Elkhart pastor incorrectly found in contempt, ordered to jail
A years-long dispute between an Elkhart pastor and members of his congregation has resulted in a reversal from an appellate panel that determined a trial court erred in ordering the faith leader to spend one month in jail.
Patients sue Goshen Hospital over possible disease exposure
More than 1,000 surgical patients are suing a northern Indiana hospital after being notified that a sterilization failure could have exposed them to deadly infections. The lawsuit alleges the patients were potentially exposed to hepatitis C, hepatitis B and HIV.
Elkhart drug offender granted Holcomb’s first sentence commutation
A convicted drug offender from northern Indiana will be released from prison about 1½ years early after Gov. Eric Holcomb commuted his sentence. The order issued Wednesday was the first sentence commutation during Holcomb’s term.
Embattled AG Hill announces he will seek re-election
Embattled Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill announced on Thursday that he will seek re-election, setting up a potential Republican Party convention fight for the nomination in the spring.
Hill takes stand in discipline case; ex-colleague recalls crude sexual advances
Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill has taken the stand in his attorney discipline action, beginning testimony Wednesday in a case that could jeopardize his law license. The morning’s testimony also included allegations of unwanted sexual advances Hill made by a former employee of his office when he was Elkhart County prosecutor.