Press Releases
Nov 19, 2009 - VICTIM BEATEN AND ROBBED WHILE WALKING TO WORK – ASSAILANT FACING 50 YEARS
*** MEDIA ADVISORY***
November 18, 2009
VICTIM BEATEN AND ROBBED WHILE WALKING TO WORK –
ASSAILANT FACING 50 YEARS
Media Contact: Curtis T. Hill, Jr. - 296-1888
A jury convicted Michael A. Clay, 20, of Robbery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, A Class A Felony, Tuesday in the Elkhart Circuit Court. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney David Francisco presented evidence that Clay participated in a strong-arm robbery of James Davis. Davis, who lived in Elkhart but worked in Bristol, had been walking three hours to work every day over the course of the previous two weeks. In the early morning hours of August 20, 2008, as he was walking on Harrison Street in downtown Elkhart, Davis was confronted by Clay and an unknown accomplice. The two men knocked Davis to the ground and repeatedly punched, kicked and stomped him. A few other unidentified individuals joined in the beating, which left Davis with three broken facial bones, two missing teeth, and a gradual deterioration of his vision in one eye.
Shortly after the beating, Davis identified Clay as one of the assailants. During questioning, Clay admitted to taking Davis’s wallet. Clay initially denied touching Davis, but later conceded that he may have “accidentally” kicked Davis while he was down.
Ironically, Davis intended to use the $40 in his wallet to pay for a taxi, but decided to walk when the taxi company could not assure him of a pick-up time. Davis wanted to be to work on time because he was informed the previous day that he was going to be hired full-time. Clay, who will be sentenced on December 10, 2009, in the Elkhart Circuit Court, faces up to 50 years imprisonment.
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