MUNCIE, Ind. — An inmate at the Delaware County jail is accused of misleading sheriff's investigators about the fate of a missing Muncie woman.
Jesse Allen Mansfield, 41, is preliminarily charged with obstruction of justice and false informing.
According to an affidavit, Mansfield on July 8 contacted John Branson, an investigator with the Delaware County Sheriff's Department, and claimed he had information on the case of Ashley Morris Mullis, a Muncie woman who was last seen by friends and family in September 2013.
In a letter to the detective, Mansfield claimed he had a cell phone with a video that showed Mullis' remains. He also reported he knew two people who were aware of her body's location.
Deputies drove Mansfield — who is awaiting trial on intimidation and domestic battery charges — to a home in Eaton where he claimed the phone was. "The phone was not there," Branson wrote.
Mansfield then led deputies to the Daleville area and a bridge spanning the White River, and claimed Mullis' body was buried there. No human remains were recovered.
Mansfield — who said he wanted a "deal" to get out of jail in exchange for information on the missing woman — also claimed his wife could verify his account.
Branson then contacted the wife, who is incarcerated. She reported having no knowledge about her husband's claims.
According to the affidavit, Mansfield eventually admitted he had lied, saying he was "looking out for himself."
Jesse Allen Mansfield, 41, is preliminarily charged with obstruction of justice and false informing.
www.thestarpress.com
