Cases of Interest

The Grand Jury of Elkhart County was convened on September 2, 2025, by the Elkhart County Circuit Court at the request of Prosecuting Attorney Vicki Elaine Becker. The Grand Jury heard evidence regarding the facts and circumstances surrounding allegations that Elkhart County Clerk Christopher Anderson, and one of his Chief Deputy Clerks Carol Smith, approved the expenditure of public funds without proper authorization. In September 2024, the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office and the Indiana State Board of Accounts were notified of several concerns with certain clerk employees receiving payment for hours that they did not actually work, and that the practice had been going on for several years. In June of 2025, the SBOA issued public report 25840C summarizing non-compliance with Elkhart County Policy as well as Indiana law by Anderson and Smith and documenting that Anderson was aware of the long-standing practice of paying supervisors for 80 hours even though they only had to work 72. Further illustrating the endorsement of this practice, Smith had sent an email to a newly appointed Supervisor of the Clerk’s Office in August of 2022 advising that “You get paid for 80 hours even though you only work 72. The idea is the Supervisor is usually first in and last out, so it’s just a bit of extra for the Supervisor taking on the job.” The Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office conducted a criminal investigation into the same allegation to determine if the alleged conduct violated the criminal laws of the State of Indiana.

On April 28, 2011 Indiana State Trooper White stopped Patrick Austin as he was traveling east along the 80/90 Toll road to conduct a routine vehicle inspection. Austin was driving an extended cab trailer with an attached enclosed trailer containing a black 2008 Rolls Royce Phantom and a white 2007 Mercedes-Benz.

On March 5, 1988 after 11:00 p.m., a ten year old girl living on Elkhart’s west side was asleep on the couch in the living room of her home where she had been watching television. Her older brother had already gone to bed and her parents were out for the evening. The child was awakened by a loud crash and discovered that an unknown man had broken in through the front door.

Jose Alejandro, 21, of Elkhart, lost his familiar smile on May 24, 2013, as Elkhart Circuit Court Judge Terry Shewmaker committed him to the Indiana Department of Correction for the next 100 years.

Luis A. Bailey claimed he could not give an answer as to why he brutally beat and murdered Norma Hopper on December 21, 2012, stating merely that “…the Devil has a very sweet voice….”

On June 7, 2012, at approximately 5:50 A.M., 42-year-old Daniel Snead was driving a car westbound on CR 20 approaching the US HWY 20 overpass. Eighteen-year-old David Anglemyer and his best friend, 19-year-old Daniel Runion, were riding bicycles eastbound having just left Daniel’s house in Osceola. Snead’s Ford Taurus crossed the center line and struck the two young men in a head-on crash. Both boys were flung from their bikes, after which Snead’s car struck the concrete support structure for the overpass.