Sentencing was handed down today for a Ferdinand man who was charged with the January 2016 murder of a St. Henry man.
Dubois County Circuit Court Judge Nathan Verkamp today accepted a plea agreement on behalf of 26-year old Kyle Popplewell of Ferdinand that was filed with the court back on August 9th.
The Dubois County Sheriff’s Department says Popplewell allegedly went to the St. Henry home of 37-year old Jeffery Perry during the early morning hours of January 10th 2016 and entered through the back door.
Authorities say Popplewell killed Perry who died of multiple stab wounds. They say Perry’s girlfriend, who attempted to break up the confrontation received a cut to her chest when Popplewell allegedly turned and swung at her.
An 18-year-old woman Popplewell had briefly dated and who was also at the home was allegedly held hostage in a barricaded bedroom and sexually assaulted before Popplewell exited the bedroom and was subdued by police.
Popplewell admitted in August to killing Perry, injuring Perry’s girlfriend and confining the second woman.
Verkamp this afternoon sentenced Popplewell to 65 years for Perry’s murder; six years for the Level 5 felony count of criminal confinement and 15 years on the Level 3 felony count of aggravated battery.
Those sentences will run consecutively for a total sentence of 86 years at the Indiana Department of Corrections.
The incident took place during a snowstorm and in a release today Dubois County Prosecutor Anthony Quinn thanked law enforcement along with EMTs and first responders for the professional work under difficult weather conditions and the horrible circumstances found at the crime scene.
Quinn says because of the work of those fine public servants, they were able to resolve the crime quickly and ultimately without the need of a jury trial.
Quinn also thanked Perry’s family and the other victims for their patience and understanding during what he called a difficult process.
He says he Prosecutor’s Office worked closely with the family of Jeff Perry and the two other surviving victims to reach an agreement that considered the victim’s input and brought closure without enduring a horrific trial.
Quinn says the sentencing tends to bring a sense of closure to the family of the uncertainty and anguish of waiting for trial and the appeal process that would follow any conviction.
Quinn in a statement says it has been a living nightmare for the family of Jeff Perry and the two other victims since the early morning hours of January 10, 2016.
He says although the pain of losing a loved one under these circumstances will never go away, He hopes the family can find some comfort in knowing the defendant will be in prison for a very long time.
Quinn says Overall, he’s satisfied that the agreement is in the best interest of the family of Jeff Perry, the other crime victims, and the citizens of Dubois County.
