GUILTY IN - Melinda Lindsey, 23, shot to death, Porter County, 16 Jan 2015 - #2

[tweety69711]

I do think there is many things wrong with SL story.. But same w everything else.. I've read thru this whole forum.. There are many contradictions. No sign of forced entry, yet his aunt says there was marks on the door. No foot prints but then there was. He took out the insurance policy, she took out the policy.. Etc.. No mention of dogs anywhere except in this forum.. There just seems to be a lot of missing details to effectively say he is guilty.

Since when do police let anyone inside the house of a gun shot without sweeping the whole house first?

There is so much speculation and circumstantial evidence.. But at the moment I haven't read about anything concrete. No gun powder residue, no fingerprints on the gun.

I do believe its possible to zip tie yourself, I do think there should have been some sign of struggle if he was choked out.. But its not hard evidence.

I have no opinion on guilt and innocence. Everyone is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty.. I'm just saying.. Nothing makes logical sense from either side.

 

[Safeguard]

Melinda's family and friends know who shot her. Her facebook account, the last text messages between her, and her Dad, and the testimony of her friends show a young person trapped in a NIGHTMARE of abuse. He Gaslighted her, isolated her, used threats of taking her child away from her, cut up and burned her clothes and family photos...

A MILLION dollar insurance policy.

So you go ahead and hope for the best for SL if you want...

I'm 100% confident that enough will come out in this trial to convict.

 

[nosynelly]

What confused me is the first bunch of articles say there was no foot prints but now they are saying there was from the day before. Couldn't someone just retrace their footsteps so no new ones were made? I am not choosing sides.. But there seems to be just as many holes in the police stories as SL. In actuality both sides of the coin make no sense. The media stories kind of make the cops look like morons.. Not following simple proceedures and inconsistent details. What I have noticed is SL story doesn't seem to have changed at all, which is unusual for someone who is lying. IMO there is poor police work here and even if SL is guilty he may actually go free unless the PD can get their story straight.

Aa far as SL's story not changing and that being "unusual for someone who is lying" - isn't it the exact opposite?

I thought the story of someone lying about a crime tends to be more consistent precisely because they have carefully formulated their story (and are sticking to it) and are anticipating the event and the eventualities (talking to the police, etc.) vs. someone who was living through the experience unexpectedly.

In that case, they wouldn't be logging details as it unfolds, planning their statement, anticipating the outcome and such. Details may be recalled after the initial recounting. That is, IF they are innocent and an unwilling participant, as opposed to being the one who is orchestrating the whole thing...

 

[molly1255]

Agree Nosynelly. Liars tell their story in a chronological fashion because they have had to construct their story. OJ Simpson was convicted in the civil trial because the Goldmans' attorney recognized this and asked OJ questions that were out of chronological order and caught him in numerous lies.

On another note, has anyone read about the Dr. Sam Sheppard and Dr. Jeffrey MacDonald cases from years ago and noticed the similarities to this case? In both cases, the husband fell asleep on the couch, a murderous intruder or intruders got into the house and murdered the wives in their own beds. In the MacDonald case, two young daughters were also murdered in their beds.

In the MacDonald case, the husband had a puncture wound to his lung and it was believed that he did that to himself. There was no evidence of a struggle in that house, either. Dr. Sheppard had a whiplash from supposedly having a wrestling match with the intruder, after his wife was murdered. In both cases, the intruder/intruders vanished into the night. And in both of these cases, the wives were pregnant. There has been speculation that Melinda may have been in the early stages of pregnancy. Not sure if that is the case, but I recall that being stated.

Both men were convicted though Sheppard later was granted a second trial based on pre-trial publicity during the first trial and he was acquitted. He died a few years later. He did have F. Lee Bailey as his attorney the second time around. As far as I know, MacDonald is still in prison.

I believe that juries tend to be very skeptical about scenarios in which the wife is murdered in her own bed and the husband walks out unscathed or relatively unscathed and the "real" murderer just vanishes into the dark.

 

[Tina Grant]

In this case the "real" murderer vanished into the dark, leaving the husband who was home at the time and unhurt to collect on a million dollar insurance policy.

 

[molly1255]

New article online from NW Indiana Times a few minutes ago. A claims rep with MetLife testified Steven Lindsey inquired about the policy after Melinda's death but it wasn't paid out because of incorrect information being provided on the application.

Misrepresentations made during the application process will void the policy if death occurs during the contestable time-frame. In this case, I believe it is the first two years. False statements typically have to do with health issues or financial issues.

Many of us questioned how a very young SAH mother would be able to get that much life insurance. This is how it happened. The claims person did say that SL joined Melinda in setting up the policy.

In addition, the policy was nine days from expiring due to non-payment of premium.

 

[molly1255]

In this case the "real" murderer vanished into the dark, leaving the husband who was home at the time and unhurt to collect on a million dollar insurance policy.

Or so he thought!

 

[ArabianLover]

"He was hounding me," she said in recorded telephone call with a representative of MetLife Insurance.

So much for buying the insurance being Melinda's idea. Another lie debunked.

When Melinda Lindsey voices interest at one point during the call about adding their then-1-year-old daughter to the life insurance policy as a beneficiary, she checks with Steven Lindsey, who derails the move in favor of waiting until after the policy has been approved. She lists Steven Lindsey as the sole beneficiary.

And so much for the idea of the insurance being for the baby. Another lie debunked.

She encourages Steven Lindsey to apply for his own policy at another point during the call, only to have him decline, saying he will call the following day.

I'll just bet he got right on that. What a puke.

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/...cle_f057d4d6-342e-5def-8664-81d7c9d28a96.html

 

[Tina Grant]

So, even if he is found NG he will not collect on the insurance because of lies on the application. So somebody else must be paying for his lawyer. I really hope his parents and siblings are not jeopardizing their financial futures or retirements for his sake, but I don't know where else the money would come from. Unless he has a public defender, but I was under the impression he didn't. Does anybody know for sure?

 

[ArabianLover]

From what I have heard, his attorney is pretty high profile. I doubt he's doing this pro-bono. And my guess would be his family is footing the bill. Sadly, they are probably like most families in this horrible situation. They just can't imagine that their loved one could possibly be capable of doing something so horrible. And the family doesn't want to believe he's done this either. Add to that SL has probably lied to them about everything. Or at least twisted the truth.

Nothing against the aunt. But remember, SL told her that Melinda bought the life insurance HERSELF. Well....that is true. Sort of...by his insistanance and under his instruction. Certainly puts a different spin on things.

 

[ArabianLover]

New article online from NW Indiana Times a few minutes ago. A claims rep with MetLife testified Steven Lindsey inquired about the policy after Melinda's death but it wasn't paid out because of incorrect information being provided on the application.

Misrepresentations made during the application process will void the policy if death occurs during the contestable time-frame. In this case, I believe it is the first two years. False statements typically have to do with health issues or financial issues.

Many of us questioned how a very young SAH mother would be able to get that much life insurance. This is how it happened. The claims person did say that SL joined Melinda in setting up the policy.

In addition, the policy was nine days from expiring due to non-payment of premium.

I am really curious about what the "false statements" were. I have always been completely flabbergasted on how a 23 yo housewife could acquire a $1.1M life insurance policy.

My husband and I had to jump through so many financial hoops, it was mind boggling to qualify for our life insurance.

 

[Tina Grant]

This is what I'm afraid of, and what I hope isn't true - that they just can't believe he would do such a thing and are bankrupting themselves for him.

 

[DisneyFan]

This is what I'm afraid of, and what I hope isn't true - that they just can't believe he would do such a thing and are bankrupting themselves for him.

Sadly many families are faced with supporting the legal battle of their own family member. Many are heartbroken as well as financially strained after conviction.
What is in store for SL remains to be seen.
What we know thus far is ML family, and daughter will never be the same.

 

[molly1255]

I am really curious about what the "false statements" were. I have always been completely flabbergasted on how a 23 yo housewife could acquire a $1.1M life insurance policy.

My husband and I had to jump through so many financial hoops, it was mind boggling to qualify for our life insurance.

According to the Chicago Tribune today, the health history contained lies and SL stated he had a $2M life insurance policy (which he did not have). A policy on him for this amount was required by MetLife.

He apparently did not understand how the contestable clause worked and that misrepresentations void the contract in the event of death during the contestable period.

 

[ArabianLover]

Aww...that makes sense. Thanks for that information.

 

[Set her soul free]

I am really curious about what the "false statements" were. I have always been completely flabbergasted on how a 23 yo housewife could acquire a $1.1M life insurance policy.

My husband and I had to jump through so many financial hoops, it was mind boggling to qualify for our life insurance.

it had to do with her health...

 

[BarryW]

well, this keeps getting curiouser and curiouser ! Amazing that the telephone tapes of the phone conversation were kept by the insurance company for so long. I guess they just don't keep them for "training purposes", but may be required by law should the insurance purchased come into question, as it has here. "He hounded me", that's a pretty damning statement.

His attorney is going to have to pull some big rabbit out of his hat if he has any hope of saving this man. Sounds like Steven wrote his own death sentence. I hope, for the sake of his two children, that he has some sort of policy from his job.

 

[Safeguard]

Maybe "hounding" by a potential benificairy should be one of those big red flags insurers use to deny!

Reportedly, both SL and Melinda smoked. I was under the impression that it was hard to get good, (high) insurence coverage if you are a smoker.

 

[molly1255]

Maybe "hounding" by a potential benificairy should be one of those big red flags insurers use to deny!

Reportedly, both SL and Melinda smoked. I was under the impression that it was hard to get good, (high) insurence coverage if you are a smoker.

Smokers can get life insurance if their health is good. They do pay higher rates. The insurance company does a paramed exam on each applicant and they specifically do lab work to see if the person is a tobacco user. Tobacco includes snuff, too. If the labs come back showing positive tobacco use, the insurer typically will apply the smoker rates, present it to the proposed insured and give them the option of taking the policy or not taking the policy.

It is my impression in this case that a misstatement or misstatements were made about a current health condition or a past health condition. If Melinda herself made the misstatement, she likely did so under duress because her husband was "hounding" her to do it. There was no advantage to Melinda at all to have a policy on her life. Some would say it could have given her peace of mind to know her daughter would be taken care of, but I think her primary motivation was to get her husband off her back and keep the peace.

I wonder if the insurance company asked for W-2's when they were asking for financial information. This would have clearly shown the amount of coverage being applied for was excessive. I also wonder if the insurance company asked SL to provide the name of the insurer and the policy number of his $2 M policy (that he said he had but didn't). It appears it was required by Melinda's insurer that he have $2 M on his own life.

Policy applications also have a disclosure to obtain information that needs to be signed by the proposed insured. The insurance carriers will typically go through the MIB (Medical Information Bureau) to make certain all health conditions have been disclosed on the application.

This carrier may have relied on statements made and the contestable clause to wash out any issues they weren't made aware of. I don't know the answer to that.

 

[molly1255]

I know a family who did end up in bankruptcy because of their son's issues. Their son was in and out of court from the time he was a young teenager. They managed to keep him out of jail until he decided to commit a truly heinous crime when he was an adult. That crime landed him a sentence of life with no chance of parole.

They were simply unable to see what others could see - their son was a criminal. I would absolutely hate to be faced with having a child who had this issue, but this particular family's response was to blame everyone else for his issues. It was never his fault.

With SL, it appears he also attempted to defraud an insurance company by lying about having a $2M policy on his life. I believe that is a felony. I wonder if he will later be charged with that?