Latest news with #LafayetteJournal&Courier
Indianapolis Star
6 days ago
- Indianapolis Star
After you watch the latest Delphi murders documentary, hear our daily reports from the trial
In October 2024, the Delphi community was swarming with local and national reporters, photographers and social media personalities. The trial in the double murders of Liberty "Libby" German and Abigail "Abby" Williams was underway. Because no electronics were allowed during Richard Allen's trial in the Delphi murders, journalists found ways to share what was happening in the Carroll County Courthouse. Local reporters in the USA Today Network from IndyStar and the Lafayette Journal & Courier attended the trial and recorded updates on most days. Here's what they witnessed during Indiana v. Richard Allen in 2024. Delphi murders documentary: Here's how to watch and more on the case Ahead of opening statements, Ron Wilkins reported, a line formed outside the courthouse and several people were turned away as it filled. Jordan Smith reported on the testimony of witnesses who were involved in the search after Abby and Libby went missing. Wilkins reported that a graphic photo was shown without warning, eliciting gasps from the crowd. Wilkins reported that the jury and others in the courtroom saw more of the video from which a grainy still had been released to the public in 2019. Smith reported on the testimony of the audiovisual technician who analyzed the video from Libby's phone. Wilkins reported on the testimony of a witness who was on the trail Feb. 13, 2017. Smith reported on the testimony of a digital expert who analyzed the activity on Libby's phone. Watch 'Capturing Their Killer: The Girls on the High Bridge' on Hulu with Disney bundle Wilkins reported on the testimony of a volunteer who came across an early tip in the case that changed the direction of the murder investigation. Sarah Nelson reported on what investigators said they found in a 2022 search of Richard Allen's home. Wilkins reported on the testimony of a firearms expert who linked Allen's firearm to a spent round found near Abby and Libby's bodies. Nelson reported on the cross-examination of the firearms expert as the defense tried to call the science into question. Nelson reported on an Indiana State Police investigator's testimony about a 2022 interview with Allen. Nelson reported on testimony from a forensic scientist who analyzed the crime scene. Wilkins reported after the jury saw video from a 2022 interview with Richard Allen. Nelson reported on testimony by guards at two state prisons who said Richard Allen confessed. Wilkins reported on testimony by a psychologist who said Allen confessed. Nelson reported on the cross-examination of the prison psychologist. Wilkins reported on an analyst's testimony who compared the voice on Libby's video to Allen's phone call recordings. Smith reported that jurors listened to a prison phone call between Allen and his mother. After a break, Smith reported on the conversation between Richard Allen and his mother. Wilkins reported on testimony of a mental health expert who spoke about Allen's state of mind while in isolation. Smith reported that the jury watched hours of disturbing footage of Allen in prison during 2023. Wilkins reported on the testimony of a neuropsychologist about his mental health. Smith reported on testimony from two defense witnesses, one of whom spoke on the effects of solitary confinement. Smith also reported on what the defense's own ballistics expert had to say about the unspent round. Wilkins reported that the defense rested its case and the prosecution began calling rebuttal witnesses. Nelson reported that even before jury deliberations started, a line began forming outside the courthouse for the verdict. Wilkins reported that jurors returned to deliberations as the public waited outside with signs. Nelson reported that the second full day of deliberations ended with no verdict.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Op-ed: I've been in education more than 50 years. Indiana must help parents afford pre-K
There's a misconception that preschool is only finger painting, play time or snacks. It doesn't help that Indiana treats pre-K as unnecessary, ranking among the bottom in the nation for enrollment. As a longtime educator, I say it's time for our state to rethink its approach to early childhood education. Studies show the benefits of preschool follow students throughout their entire lives. I witnessed the positives of pre-K during my 35 years in the classroom. My students with some form of early education had higher literacy scores and a better grasp of their letters. They had a deeper understanding of classroom expectations, sharing with their peers and participating in group work. This followed my students into their teenage years – children who attended preschool are 11% more likely to graduate from high school. They're also more likely to attend college. I believe many parents want the best for their children, but they simply can't afford it. The average cost of pre-K for one child is roughly $300 to $430 per week. Our lower-income families can apply for assistance. However, Indiana is slashing the On My Way Pre-K program by 60% next school year. Only 2,500 of our young kids will have the opportunity to receive assistance for a robust early education. Those children who are enrolled will only receive $148 per week, which won't cover the entire cost. This will affect the availability of preschool for our less fortunate children, who are not responsible for their economic situation. I remember when Indiana first started working to expand early education in 1986 with the First Steps program. I helped create First Steps because studies showed early intervention was extremely beneficial for toddlers with developmental delays. It took the state legislature about 30 years to reach the same conclusion on pre-K. In 2014, Indiana launched OMWPK, but we haven't truly addressed the rising cost of early childhood education in the past decade. It's past time for Indiana to act on the ballooning cost of pre-K and child care. As a seasoned legislator, I believe there's a simple solution: a pre-K tax credit. If Indiana won't invest in a statewide pre-K program, we should put the money back in families' pockets. A credit would help cover the cost by providing $2,000 to $3,000 for families making less than $75,000 a year. Some states also give businesses a tax credit, encouraging them to help the parents they employ with the costs of pre-K or child care. Across the U.S., 26 states provide a tax credit to cover the costs of preschool or day care. It's time for Indiana to join this cohort. All children deserve the same educational opportunities regardless of their families' wealth. Sheila Klinker (D-Lafayette) is an Indiana state representative. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Op-ed: It's time for Indiana to help parents afford pre-K
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Baby's dad did not call 911 after boy was killed from a gunshot wound
LAFAYETTE, IN — Deonta Johnson found his 1-year-old son, Isaiah, dead in an upstairs bedroom on March 28, 2023, from a gunshot wound to the head and didn't even call 911. He called Shatia Welch, the baby's mother, and she called 911, according to testimony Wednesday, May 21, in Johnson's neglect-resulting-in-death trial. Isaiah's 5-year-old half-brother found Welch's handgun and accidentally fired it, killing Isaiah, according to prosecutors. Johnson told police he was asleep on the couch at the time. He also told the first officer on scene that the baby died from a fall, not a gunshot. But evidence and a forensic autopsy concluded Isaiah died from a gunshot wound. After Isaiah was killed, Johnson, now 29, is recorded on video apparently putting something inside the back seat area of a car parked outside of the Romney Meadows Apartment Homes. Police later found more than three-quarters of a pound of marijuana in a Ziplock bag and wrapped in a gray plastic shopping bag. Police also located a bag of about 93 pills, which tested positive at the Indiana State Police lab for being fentanyl. In addition to the neglect charges, including the charge that Johnson's alleged neglect resulted in death, prosecutors charged him with several drug charges, including dealing fentanyl and marijuana. Jurors heard several pages of text messages and Facebook messages that prosecutors say indicate that Johnson was involved in dealing narcotics and marijuana, including a message in January 2023 that indicated four or five men robbed Johnson of his money from drug sales. When court resumes in the afternoon May 21, prosecutors told the court they will play an audio recording of a phone call Johnson made from the jail, then they will rest their case. Defense attorney Robert Hodges indicated they might call one witness. Welch, who pleaded guilty in January to a lesser charge of neglect of a dependent, was brought back from an Indiana prison last week where she is serving a six-year sentence for her crime. She might testify Wednesday afternoon, if she's called. Johnson also could testify, if he chooses. This story will be updated later May 21. Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@ Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette baby's dad did not call 911 after boy was killed
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
Lafayette police: Send us your videos, other information from Saturday's anti-Trump rally
LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Lafayette police are calling on the public to provide more information about the Saturday incident that ended with a man pulling out an assault rifle near the Tippecanoe County Courthouse. The man, who has not been charged with a crime, parked and exited his vehicle on 3rd Street about noon Saturday, approaching and yelling at protesters for blocking the road, according to eyewitnesses that day and a video recorded by the Lafayette Journal & Courier. As he continued to shout, a man in a black sweatshirt drew near to the man who left his truck and allegedly head-butted him, causing his nose to bleed. 'Officers arrived on scene following reports of a verbal altercation between a protest participant and a passing motorist,' police said in a news release Sunday. 'Witnesses stated that the exchange escalated when the protester made physical contact with the motorist, who then retrieved a firearm from his vehicle and walked through the protest area.' Lafayette police determined in their initial findings 'the firearm was not knowingly and intentionally' pointed at anyone, and 'the presence of a firearm in a tense, crowded public space understandably caused alarm amongst community members.' But Nick Ault, a helper with the event, told the Journal & Courier the gun was pointed at his stomach at one point during the protest in downtown Lafayette. 'I was OK until I realized he pointed the gun at my husband. In that moment, I started panicking for a half-second,' Erika Allen, event organizer and Ault's wife, said Saturday. 'I said to (the man with the gun), 'That's my husband. Don't point the gun at him. Please put it down.' When the police officer told me he didn't believe me, that's when I got really upset.' The man was initially detained but was released after Lafayette police determined that he did not, that he instead retrieved the gun in self-defense. On Sunday, during continuing unrest on social media sites, Lafayette police released the statement saying they are continuing to review video and other evidence of the event. 'The investigation remains ongoing, and LPD urges individuals who directly witnessed the incident or have firsthand information to come forward,' the release said. Meanwhile, an organizer of Saturday's rally, Stacy Bogan, created a gofundme site to raise money for legal fees for the man police arrested for head-butting the man with the gun. Jeremy Marks, 36, was arrested on a preliminary battery charge and bonded out of the Tippecanoe County Jail. "Help Jeremy Cover Legal Fees" has raise $9,400 as of 7 p.m. Sunday. Readers can provide videos to the Lafayette police at Estimates were that nearly 1,000 people showed up Saturday at the Tippecanoe County Courthouse as part of the national "Hands Off! Mass Mobilization" movement involving cities around the country. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette police: Send us videos, info from Saturday's anti-Trump rally
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
State police arrest Indy man suspected of shooting at a car on I-65
LAFAYETTE, Ind. — White County dispatchers received a 911 call about 10 p.m. Monday from a southbound driver on Interstate 65 who reported someone in a Chevy Equinox shot at him near the 193-mile marker, according to an Indiana State Police news release. Troopers stopped a matching Chevy a short time after the call. Their investigation led them to believe the driver — George Collins, 43, of Indianapolis — fired at least one shot at the victim's car, hitting it in the windshield, police said. The victim was not injured, police said. The Chevy was stolen, and troopers found a handgun inside the car, police said. Troopers jailed Collins on suspicion of criminal recklessness with a firearm, possession of stolen property and pointing a firearm, police said. Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@ Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: State police suspect Indy man shot at a car on I-65 near Lafayette
