Justice Information

• The Indiana Court of Appeals ruled that James Hill Jr., 56, of Gary, will be resentenced in the line of duty death of Hammond Officer Pucalik, EOW 11/4/1980. On October 3, 2018, Hill was sentenced to 47 years in prison after being convicted of murder while committing robbery and attempted robbery. In his appeal, Hill sought to have his conviction and sentence overturned due to constitutional rights violations. The appeals court ordered Hill to be resentenced, but a date has not been set in Lake Circuit Court for his resentencing.

  Patrolman Pucalik was working an off-duty security job at the Holiday Inn-Southeast in Hammond when two males entered the hotel and attempted to rob the night clerk at 3:00 AM. Hearing a commotion at the front desk, Pucalik exited a nearby office when the suspects opened fire, and he was shot in the neck. Over 31 years later, three suspects were charged with murder in Lake Circuit Court on June 22, 2012, in connection with the incident. Those charges were dismissed against Hill, the getaway driver, in 2014, but he was again charged in 2016, which led to his conviction last year. One of the men who entered the hotel, Larry J. Mayes, was found medically incompetent to stand trial in 2014, and his charges were dismissed. The other man, Pierre L. Catlett, is awaiting trial with an expected jury trial in March 2020.

• STACY WAS IN COURT 12/2/2019 REFERENCE THE STILL PENDING DEATH PENALTY CASE OF HER HUSBANDS’ LINE OF DUTY SACRIFICE EOW 7/27/2017.

Stacy was in court on 12/2/2019 in reference to the still pending death penalty case of her husband’s line of duty sacrifice, EOW 7/27/2017.

• Offender Benjamin Eads age 35 received a 30 year sentence 3/2019
• Pursuit was more than 30 miles which started with a speeding vehicle. The vehicle was stolen and the offender refused to stop. Officer Bertram was killed during the pursuit when he lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree.
• A plea agreement resulted in a 30 year sentence for resisting le and causing death; a class 2 felony in Scott County
• Offender was a habitual offender that could have added 20 yrs to the sentence but the Clark Co prosecutor agreed not to file any charges in the case.

• Offender Patrick Faiers age 49, sentenced to 3 yrs probation 3/2019
• Offender was driven a stolen vehicle and refused to stop resulting in a pursuit. After striking a tree he fled on foot. Foot pursuit resulted in his apprehension. Officer Tinsley collapsed while returning to his squad car and died at the hospital.
• Offender pled guilty & plea agreement charged and rec’d probation for: Burglary, Operation of vehicle after forfeiture of license for life and Resisting LE
• As part of plea agreement the charges of theft, criminal mischief and criminal trespass were dismissed.

• Officer was off duty working security at a Holiday Inn – Hammond.
• 3 males entered the hotel & attempted to rob the clerk – the officer heard the commotion from another room – he was shot in the neck as he approached the front desk.
• 31 yrs later 3 suspects were charged for the crime / at the time one was age 17
• Since there was no evidence that the 3 knew Officer Pucalik was a PO thus the sentence was much less than the 30-60 year murder sentence availability in 1980.
• Offender James Hill, Jr. 55 was sentenced to 47 yrs in prison
• Offender Larry Mayes was found medically incompetent to stand trial and his charges – dismissed.
• Offender Pierre Catlett is awaiting extradition from IL after being paroled 8/20/2018 for a 10 yr sentence of aggravated battery w/firearm.

Offender Darryl Jeter recently removed from long term segregation at the Wabash Facility and returned to Level 4 at the facility.

The Indiana Court of Appeals has denied convicted killer Tommy Pruitt’s appeal of his 65-year prison sentence for the killing of Morgan County Sheriff’s Department Warrant Officer Daniel Starnes.

The appeals court issued its decision May 16 and affirmed it Wednesday.

In May 2016, following a sentencing hearing, Dearborn Circuit Court Judge James D. Humphrey sentenced Pruitt, now 55 years old, to 65 years in prison.

Read Article: http://www.reporter-times.com/news/local/pruitt-appeal-denied–year-murder-sentence-stands/article_20a5210a-a6bf-5b77-8092-efddd4a76621.html#utm_campaign=blox&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

Hello everyone,
Officer James Allen Hornaday was with the Speedway Police Department when on April 30, 1995 at 2:00am at 6200 Crawfordsville Road in Speedway he was shot in the line of duty. Thankfully, Officer Hornaday survived. He is now a police officer with IMPD.
Officer Hornaday endured 13 major surgeries from 1995-2001. He was wearing his vest but the bullet entered below his vest. In his own words…

…”I was wearing my vest, but unfortunately the bullet entered below the vest, in and out of my bladder, colon and then lodging in my tailbone. I had a colostomy for 8 months, it was reversed an Ileostomy, bladder tube, catheter, abdominal drainage tubes and was in ICU for 10 days. I was lucky. The bullet went between the arteries leading to and from my lower body. If the bullet had nicked one of them I would have bled out in 2 minutes. “

The offender, Michael Passmore was convicted and sentenced to a 45 year sentence. He was mandatorily released in 2013 after serving only 19 years. With less than a year into his parole he was arrested for being intoxicated and on prescription drugs, – passed out in an McDonald’s drive -thru in Avon. The offender was 22 at the time of the shooting. Not even a bachelor’s degree while in prison made any difference.

**The public hearing will be held Tuesday, August 1, 2017 at 8:30am, Indianapolis, at the INDY Govt. Center South, 402 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, Room W466. If you wish to attend the hearing please respond no later than Wednesday, July 26, 2017 so that I can provide the IN Parole Board and IMPD Officer Hornaday with this information. Also if you intend to speak, let me know in your response.
Additionally, the offender will have his parole hearing on August 22, 2017 thus, please collect signatures in support of Officer James Hornaday and his fight to keep the offender in prison as long as possibly allowed by law. PLEASE DO SO NO LATER THAN THURSDAY, AUGUST 17, 2017~

Attached is the petition to circulate & below are the instructions on how to submit them. Please do so no later than Thursday, August 17, 2017 to allow me sufficient time to get them to the Parole Board.

· US MAIL- IN Parole Board, Indiana Govt. Center South, 402 West Washington St, Room W-466, Indianapolis 46204. (If you mail the petition, please let me know via email as I let the family member(s) know who all petitions come from in support of them).

· Electronically – At the request of the IN Parole Board, please email them to me at this email address. I will forward them to the Parole Board. jan_star29@hotmail.com

· Fax – to 317-232-5738 (if you fax the petition, please let me know via email as I let the family member(s) know who all petitions come from in support of them).

Again thank you for your continued support! Your signature MATTERS!

Janice Starnes

In a 4-0 vote, parole was denied for the offender in the James Boyce, Jr. case.  Thank you for your calls, petitions, and emails.  They worked!!!

Gary Police Officer James R. Boyce, Jr. was killed in the line of duty on October 5, 1974.  His offender was sentenced to life. However, he is eligible for parole every 5 years and has a parole hearing coming up on November 1, 2016.

Attached is the petition, please circulate for signatures to help keep the offender in prison.  Please feel free to circulate to your groups so that we can obtain as many signatures as possible by October 31, 2016.

You can either email them back to me and I will forward them to the IN Parole Board, or you can fax them to the IN Parole Board at 317-232-5738. You can also mail them to:

Indiana Parole Board
Indiana Government Center South
402 W. Washington St., Room W-466.
Indianapolis, IN 46204

Thank you everyone for your continued support!

Janice

The appeals court issued its decision May 16 and affirmed it Wednesday.

In May 2016, following a sentencing hearing, Dearborn Circuit Court Judge James D. Humphrey sentenced Pruitt, now 55 years old, to 65 years in prison.