GUILTY IN - April Tinsley, 8, Fort Wayne, 1 April 1988 *Arrest*

[morf13]

Criminology True Crime Podcast Season 4 Episode 4 out right now w/ the heartbreaking case of 8 year old, April Marie Tinsley who was abducted, raped, & murdered in Fort Wayne, IN. Finally, in 2018, Police, DNA Parabon GEDmatch all caught up with the monster that killed her. We are joined in this episode by April's Mom, Janet. S4 Ep4 - April Marie Tinsley - Criminology - Omny.fm

 

[jash]

This case was mentioned briefly on 60 Minutes tonight.

Inside the genetic genealogy being used to solve crimes

Brian Martin has been a Ft. Wayne homicide detective for six years. He was the one who got the call in July from CeCe Moore saying there had been a breakthrough.

Detective Brian Martin: We began looking at the individuals that she had given us, and within four to five hours, we began surveillance. 14 days later, that individual was taken into custody and is currently in the Allen County Jail.​

 

[Niner]

Judge: Out-of-county jurors probably to hear trial in Tinsley slaying | Courts | Journal Gazette

Jurors from outside Allen County likely will hear the case of a Grabill man charged in the 1988 murder and sexual assault of an 8-year-old Fort Wayne girl.
[.....]
Allen Superior Judge John Surbeck will consider the request in a hearing Dec. 7 but said Monday he would "probably" order jurors to be selected from another county and brought to Fort Wayne to hear the case. Miller's trial is scheduled to start Feb. 11.

 

[Suglo]

Judge: Out-of-county jurors probably to hear trial in Tinsley slaying | Courts | Journal Gazette

Jurors from outside Allen County likely will hear the case of a Grabill man charged in the 1988 murder and sexual assault of an 8-year-old Fort Wayne girl.
[.....]
Allen Superior Judge John Surbeck will consider the request in a hearing Dec. 7 but said Monday he would "probably" order jurors to be selected from another county and brought to Fort Wayne to hear the case. Miller's trial is scheduled to start Feb. 11.

Interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever seen jurors shipped in from another county. Normally the Judge and attorneys on both sides (plus defendant) are the ones that go to another county. The counties must be close by otherwise that would cause undue hardships on the jurors to have to travel each day for the trial.

 

[Niner]

They "might" be sequestered there. Haven't read anything about that yet though.

 

[Suglo]

They "might" be sequestered there. Haven't read anything about that yet though.

That also came to mind after I posted yesterday. It won’t be an easy case for any juror regardless of whether they travel, are sequestered or are local.

 

[YESorNO]

Judges turning to imported juries
Want fair trials for high-profile defendants

November 11, 2018

"The trial of a Fort Wayne man facing the death penalty for allegedly killing four people – one of them his unborn child – more than two years ago could cost Allen County at least $282,500.

And the county could be on the hook next year for thousands more as jurors in another high-profile case are selected elsewhere and brought here for trial. A third case could be added, as a judge has already said he will likely order out-of-county jurors to be chosen for the trial of a Grabill man accused of sexually assaulting and killing 8-year-old April Tinsley in 1988.

It's rare for trials in Allen County to be heard by jurors from somewhere else. The last time was in 2002, when jurors from South Bend acquitted former Fort Wayne police officer Gentry Mosley of murder and attempted murder in connection with a 1997 double shooting.

The process is time-consuming and challenging to plan, and local officials are working to prepare for three trials with imported juries in 2019 – potentially a first for Allen County.

“This will be a learning experience, for sure,” said Allen Superior Court Executive John McGauley, who is responsible for some of the planning, including asking the County Council for funding to cover trial costs.

“We know what we'll be doing,” he said. “It's just a matter of getting the logistics set up.”.....

Tinsley slaying

The most high-profile case pending in Allen County is John D. Miller's.

Miller, 59, is charged with killing April Tinsley 30 years ago and dumping her body in a DeKalb County ditch. The case has been covered by local and national reporters and discussed on television newsmagazines and on internet message boards and social media.

Defense attorneys Anthony Churchward and Mark Thoma have argued Miller can't receive a fair trial in Allen County because of that coverage and discussion, and Surbeck said in an interview last month he likely will approve importing jurors.

“There is no way you could try that case here,” the judge said. “In this community, the citizens have been reminded on a regular basis of what he is alleged to have done.”

Surbeck is scheduled to formally consider the request in December and, if it's approved, it would be the third trial expected in 2019 to feature jurors from outside Allen County. Miller's trial is scheduled to start in February, but it also could be pushed back.

The state tracks venue changes, and of nearly 3 million criminal cases in 2017, 906 were “venued out” in 2017.

State statistics do not break down changes of venue by moving the case or bringing in outside jurors, however.

Hammond, the public defender, and judges Gull and Surbeck acknowledge importing juries is inconvenient. It is necessary to protect the rights of the defendant, they say...."

Judges turning to imported juries | Courts | Journal Gazette
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[Niner]

Friday, Dec. 7th:
*Pretrial Conference Hearing (@ 8:30am CT) - IN - April Marie Tinsley (8) (April 1, 1988, Fort Wayne; found April 4, 1988) - *John D. Miller (59/29 @ time of crime) arrested (7/15/18), charged (7/16/18) & indicted (7/19/18) on felony murder, 3rd degree child molesting & criminal confinement. Plead not guilty. No bond.
Confessed, DNA linked by Parabon Nanolabs
7/16/18 Update: Judge gives pros 72 hours (Thursday 7/19) to formally charge suspect.
7/19/18 Update: Judge entered a not guilty plea. Next hearing is 8/13 to set trial date & Omnibus hearing on 9/10.
8/3/18 Update: Hearing on 9/10 cancelled. Next hearing 10/5. Trial date set to run for 2 weeks – begins 2/11 to 2/22/19.
10/5/18 Update: Motion for change of venue filed by Defense. Judge will hear motion on 12/7.
10/22/18 Update: Judge will consider change of venue on 12/7 hearing.

 

[sleuther0192837465]

Yet another forcing the families to go through a trial SMH MOO

 

[Niner]

12/07/2018
Hearing on Motion for Change of Venue
Session: 12/07/2018 8:30 AM, Rescheduled
Session: 12/07/2018 11:00 AM, Judicial Officer: Surbeck, John F, Jr.
Comment: JFS

link: Case Search - MyCase


but no reschedule date listed. I'll keep an eye out! Trial still on schedule for 2/11

 

[jjs923]

This article says he pled guilty today. Sentencing to be December 31st.

Indiana man pleads guilty in 1988 slaying of 8-year-old girl

 

[sleuther0192837465]

This article says he pled guilty today. Sentencing to be December 31st.

Indiana man pleads guilty in 1988 slaying of 8-y

This article says he pled guilty today. Sentencing to be December 31st.

[URL='https://fox59.com/2018/12/07/indiana-man-pleads-guilty-in-1988-slaying-of-8-year-old-girl/?fbclid=IwAR0_liMjcCKJVC9kzvNu7p08N-IINoJteXNW_1oKJWZJeRqbZ2KuqLttszI']Indiana man pleads guilty in 1988 slaying of 8-year-old girl

ear-old girl[/URL]

My apologies, I hadn’t seen this yet Thank you for posting.
He’s still a . MOO

 

[Niner]

This article says he pled guilty today. Sentencing to be December 31st.

Indiana man pleads guilty in 1988 slaying of 8-year-old girl

Sorry, this content is not available in your region.

can someone give me a 10% synopsis on this article, please? Did he take a plea deal? what kind? TIA!

 

[YESorNO]

Admitted April Tinsley killer pleads guilty in court

December 7, 2018

"FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Fort Wayne’s NBC) – John Dale Miller of Grabill, accused of brutally raping and killing young April Tinsley in 1988– one of Fort Wayne’s most known cold cases — pleaded guilty in court Friday.....

He was initially in court for a change of venue hearing.

In court on Friday, his defense team submitted his guilty plea to murder and child molesting.

If the judge accepts the plea, he could spend 80 years behind bars.

He will be sentenced on Dec. 31 at 1:30 p.m....

Under current Indiana law, a prosecutor in a murder case that meets certain criteria might seek the death penalty, in hopes of getting a plea bargain down to life without the possibility of parole.

But Miller’s case originated in 1988, where a whole different set of rules apply.

In 1988, the life without parole statute in the Hoosier state didn’t exist.

That means Allen County Prosecutor Karen Richards can’t utilize it here.

In a crime from 1988, someone sentenced to 60 years, let’s say, would do half, or 50 percent, of the sentence because of what’s called “good time credit”.

“That has changed since 1988, so that an individual today serves at least 75 percent, if not 85 percent of the time they receive for a murder conviction. Those are things a prosecutor certainly has to consider, and those are things the defense has to consider as well,” said Robert Gevers, a former prosecutor in Allen County."

Admitted April Tinsley killer pleads guilty in court
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Guilty plea in the 1988 murder of 8-year-old girl

"...Miller pleaded guilty to murder and child molesting during the hearing. If the judge accepts the deal he will face a maximum of 80 years in prison. 50 years of the sentence is for murder 30 years is for child molesting.

During the hearing, Miller read a prepared statement saying he abducted 8-year-old April Tinsley, had sexual intercourse with her and strangled her with his bare hands.

April’s mother was in the courtroom Friday. She cried as Miller was admitting what he did...."

Guilty plea in the 1988 murder of 8-year-old girl
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[thesensitivechild]

Admitted April Tinsley killer pleads guilty in court

December 7, 2018

"FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Fort Wayne’s NBC) – John Dale Miller of Grabill, accused of brutally raping and killing young April Tinsley in 1988– one of Fort Wayne’s most known cold cases — pleaded guilty in court Friday.....

He was initially in court for a change of venue hearing.

In court on Friday, his defense team submitted his guilty plea to murder and child molesting.

If the judge accepts the plea, he could spend 80 years behind bars.

He will be sentenced on Dec. 31 at 1:30 p.m....

Under current Indiana law, a prosecutor in a murder case that meets certain criteria might seek the death penalty, in hopes of getting a plea bargain down to life without the possibility of parole.

But Miller’s case originated in 1988, where a whole different set of rules apply.

In 1988, the life without parole statute in the Hoosier state didn’t exist.

That means Allen County Prosecutor Karen Richards can’t utilize it here.

In a crime from 1988, someone sentenced to 60 years, let’s say, would do half, or 50 percent, of the sentence because of what’s called “good time credit”.

“That has changed since 1988, so that an individual today serves at least 75 percent, if not 85 percent of the time they receive for a murder conviction. Those are things a prosecutor certainly has to consider, and those are things the defense has to consider as well,” said Robert Gevers, a former prosecutor in Allen County."

Admitted April Tinsley killer pleads guilty in court
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Guilty plea in the 1988 murder of 8-year-old girl

"...Miller pleaded guilty to murder and child molesting during the hearing. If the judge accepts the deal he will face a maximum of 80 years in prison. 50 years of the sentence is for murder 30 years is for child molesting.

During the hearing, Miller read a prepared statement saying he abducted 8-year-old April Tinsley, had sexual intercourse with her and strangled her with his bare hands.

April’s mother was in the courtroom Friday. She cried as Miller was admitting what he did...."

Guilty plea in the 1988 murder of 8-year-old girl
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So if he took a plea deal- why do we think he did so. Other than the huge amount of evidence...

 

[YESorNO]

Sentencing date moved up in April Tinsley murder case

December 11, 2018

"An Allen County judge has changed the sentencing date for John D. Miller, the man who admitted last week to killing and sexually assaulting 8-year-old April Tinsley in 1988.

Judge John Surbeck will retire Dec. 31, and he said today he moved the sentencing to Dec. 21 to ensure there would be no delays. ..."

Sentencing date moved up in April Tinsley murder case | Courts | Journal Gazette
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[Niner]

Friday, Dec. 21st:
*Sentencing (@ 1:30p CT) - IN - April Marie Tinsley (8) (April 1, 1988, Fort Wayne; found April 4, 1988) - *John Dale Miller (59/29 @ time of crime) arrested (7/15/18), charged (7/16/18) & indicted (7/19/18) on felony murder, 3rd degree child molesting & criminal confinement. Plead not guilty. No bail.
Confessed, DNA linked by Parabon Nanolabs.
12/7/18 Update: In court on Friday, Miller was initially in court for a change of venue hearing. His defense team submitted his guilty plea to murder & child molesting. If the judge accepts the plea, he could spend 80 years behind bars. 50 years of the sentence is for murder 30 years is for child molesting. He will be sentenced on 12/31.
12/12/18 Update: Sentencing has been moved to 12/21, as the Judge in the case is retiring on 12/31.

 

[YESorNO]

COLD CASE BREAKTHROUGH: John D. Miller sentenced to 80 years in April Tinsley case (with clip)

December 21, 2018

"FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA21) — John D. Miller, the man who admitted to abducting, raping, and killing 8-year-old April Tinsley, learned his sentence Friday.

During court Friday, Miller was sentenced to 80 years after Judge Surbeck accepted John Miller’s plea deal calling for him to serve 50 years for the murder of eight-year-old April Tinsley and 30 years for child molestation.

The court room was standing room only with almost every chair filled and several people standing in the back half of the room.

Miller was wheeled into the court room in a wheelchair and spoke only once: when he stated his name in a strong but shaky voice.

After the hearing began several members of April’s family read statements to Miller and the court...."

COLD CASE BREAKTHROUGH: John D. Miller sentenced to 80 years in April Tinsley case
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April Tinsley's mother reacts to killer's sentence

Tinsley investigator speaks after killer sentenced

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[gregjrichards]

I’m so glad he will never be free to kill again.

May April Tinsley Rest In Peace.

 

[YESorNO]