LaPorte man handed 50-year sentence in Halloween mask murder, burglary

LAPORTE | A LaPorte man said he hopes his 50-year prison sentence and the murder he committed serve as wake-up calls to help with a local drug problem.

With his voice cracking, Brent Krueger, 24, warned others they could meet the same fate.

"I had a job and a life that is now gone. I was not a worthless drug addict. I had a problem," Krueger said.

"I hope everyone sees what drugs is doing to this town. It‘s not getting any better," he said.

Krueger on Friday was given a 45-year prison sentence for murder and a five-year prison term for burglary under a guilty plea accepted by LaPorte Circuit Court Judge Tom Alevizos.

Krueger admitted to the Oct. 30 slaying of James Greve, 46, outside the victim's apartment in the 1100 block of Indiana Avenue.

Police said Krueger was wearing a mask such as the one worn by a character in the movie "Scream" when he approached Greve with a 12-gauge shotgun to rob him of heroin.

Police said Krueger decided to rob Greve because he refused to give him heroin on a promise he would pay him later.

Greve was released from prison in 2010 after serving a 10-year sentence in Allen County for armed robbery.

A friend, Justin Mazur, told the court Greve, like many people in a tough economy, had difficulty finding work and sold heroin to support his daughter and give money to his ex-wife.

"He was a loving father and he was my best friend," Mazur said.

From the witness stand, Maureen Greve said she and her ex-husband were still friendly and he spent a lot of quality time with his 6-year-old daughter, Sammie.

"He was her hero. You have also destroyed her sense of security that the world is a safe place and all people are good. May God rest your soul," Greve said.

Krueger apologized to both families.

He also said drug dealers are just as bad as the people who get hooked on their drugs and kill.

"Are people giving the drugs any better than me? I get 50 years and they get three or four. Does this make sense?" Krueger said.

Alevizos told Krueger his opinion holds some validity, but taking a life cannot be overlooked.

"I know you want to feel you are not any worse. In a way you are not, but murder has its consequences," Alevizos said.

His other conviction was for the burglary of four storage units near Michigan City in 2010.