VALPARAISO | Just hours before not guilty pleas were entered Tuesday on behalf of two young men accused of murdering a convenience store clerk, the deceased's ex-husband was brought to court in shackles on a child support case.
Robert Heckman, 46, of Hobart, who owes $27,012 in support, was released from custody after serving five days on a warrant issued after he missed an earlier hearing in the civil support case, according to a court reporter for Magistrate Judge James Johnson.
Heckman was in custody at the Porter County Jail at the time of Friday night's beating death of Barbara Heckman at Luke's One Stop at U.S. 6 and Meridian Road in Liberty Township.
There is no evidence the beating was the result of anything other than the robbery believed to have been carried out by Steven Jorden, 19, of 1118 Winterpark Drive, and Bruce Guess, 18, of 51 E. U.S. 6, both of Valparaiso, Porter County Prosecutor Brian Gensel said.
An initial hearing in the murder case took place Tuesday afternoon via a teleconferencing system between the jail and the courtroom of Porter Superior Court Judge Roger Bradford.
A public defender was appointed to represent Jorden and Guess was granted more time to seek private counsel.
A trial date of June 1 was assigned to both cases, with preliminary hearings March 30 and May 4. A special hearing was set for Feb. 9 to determine whether Guess has hired an attorney.
Earlier in the day, Porter County Coroner Vicki Deppe said an autopsy performed Monday revealed that Heckman died of multiple blunt force trauma injuries to the head.
Police said the two men entered the convenience store shortly before 11:30 p.m. Friday. Police said the men lured Heckman, a clerk in the store into the men's bathroom, where Guess struck her three times in the head with a miniature sledgehammer, killing her.
The men fled with cash and cigarettes, police said.
A man who saw the men leaving the store was able to identify Jorden and lead police to him.
Jorden and Guess are charged with murder and felony robbery, and face up to 115 years in prison if found guilty.
