Articles

Justices reaffirm life without parole in brutal murder

A Southern Indiana convicted of killing two people will spend the rest of his life behind bars, the Indiana Supreme Court ruled Monday, finding a trial court did not impermissibly rely on aggravating circumstances outside those listed by statute in imposing a sentence of life without parole.

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Indiana woman formally charged in stepdaughter’s killing

An Indiana woman who was charged Friday in the strangulation death of her 10-year-old stepdaughter told investigators she “was very angry” when she killed the child and hid her body in a shed, court documents allege. Amanda D. Carmack, 34, was charged with murder and strangulation in Skylea Carmack’s killing.

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Man withdraws effort challenging conviction in Gary officer’s death

A man who was sentenced to life in prison without parole for fatally shooting a northwestern Indiana police officer in 2014 has withdrawn his effort to challenge his conviction. Carl Le’Ellis Blount filed a petition last year alleging Lake County prosecutors threatened him to get him to plead guilty to murder in the shooting death of Gary Patrolman Jeffrey Westerfield, but he asked to withdraw his petition in April.

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Double murder-robbery convict avoids life sentence

A 24-year-old Evansville man convicted of two counts each of murder and robbery for killing two people has avoided a life sentence but still could spend his remaining years in prison. Tippecanoe Superior Judge Randy Williams ruled Friday a life sentence for Deshay Hackner would contradict the penal system’s goals of rehabilitation.

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