A friend of Callahan who was interviewed in 1988 said she went out with Callahan the night of the homicide, but that they parted ways because Callahan "was going to go home and change her coat and put on some socks because she was cold,"Â according to a probable-cause affidavit.
Lawmakers eye increased penalties
2024 INDIANA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Hoosier lawmakers are upping the penalties for individuals who damage the property of an Indiana penal facility or provide chemical intoxicants to inmates of a county jail or state prison.
Hoosier lawmakers are set to up the penalties for individuals who damage the property of an Indiana penal facility or provide chemical intoxicants to inmates at a county jail or state prison.
Senate Bill 23 would make it a level 6 felony, punishable by up to 2½ years behind bars and a $10,000 fine, to recklessly, knowingly or intentionally damage or deface the property of a penal facility — no matter the value of the damage.
State Rep. Mitch Gore, D-Indianapolis, the sponsor, said it's not new for county jail or state prison inmates to damage or deface their cells, or other state or local government property, inside a penal facility.
"But lately we're seeing a rise in them damaging things like sprinkler heads and flooding their housing units. It causes a tremendous amount of damage to the facility, not to mention posing a grave risk to the incarcerated people themselves."
Gore said a current law requiring $50,000 in damage to trigger a felony charge isn't much of a deterrent. He expects making all damage to a penal facility automatically a felony will go a long way toward stopping the vandalism.
"We think that that rises to the level where it serves as a deterrent for the action, but not any further than that where it's merely punitive," Gore said.
State Rep. Cindy Ledbetter, R-Newburgh, agreed:"This bill improves the safety for both the inmates and the correctional officers, it saves taxpayer dollars, and it will be a strong deterrent for the inmate who may not currently be dissuaded by a class A misdemeanor."
The measure was approved 93-0 by the House. The Senate voted 25-20 Thursday not to accept changes to the proposal made by the House — sending the legislation to a House-Senate conference committee for possible further revisions.
Meanwhile, a second prison safety measure is headed to the governor — House Enrolled Act 1422 — making it a level 5 felony, punishable by up to six years in prison, to provide a penal facility inmate any type of chemical intoxicant.
State Sen. Cyndi Carrasco, R-Indianapolis, the sponsor, said providing chemical intoxicants to inmates currently only is a misdemeanor.
Her proposal would put it alongside trafficking deadly weapons or mobile phones as a definite no-no.
"Substances such as Raid, the insect repellent, or anti-freeze are being sprayed on paper, dried, and being brought into jails and prisons during visits. Folks will then smoke the paper to get high. Smoking paper laced with these substances, as you might imagine, can cause permanent brain damage and/or have additional negative side effects," Carrasco said.
The legislation was approved 49-0 by the Senate and 94-0 in the House.
The measures will take effect July 1 once the governor signs them into law.
