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

[kshultz06082]

I totally agree but I think if he is found to be mentally challenged he is unlikely to be sentenced to death.

I dont see mentally challenged. I feel uneducated. And he has the look of a longtime alcoholic to me. JMO

 

[Ontario Mom]

I dont see mentally challenged. I feel uneducated. And he has the look of a longtime alcoholic to me. JMO

It is interesting though that his brother said he was born a little "slow". To me, he does have the facial features of someone who is developmentally delayed.

 

[kshultz06082]

Here's one from the late 1980s.

DIGGING DEEPER: Brother of April Tinsley murder suspect says 'my brother died' yesterday

His brother is behaving how I wish more families of murderers behaved. I dont know anything about him except what is in this article, but this is how good upstanding citizens behave and respond in my opinion.

 

[kshultz06082]

It is interesting though that his brother said he was born a little "slow". To me, he does have the facial features of someone who is developmentally delayed.

I hadn't read far enough ahead to see the article about the brother when I replied.

Now I am concerned about mental health issues. But even if he is found not guilty due to mental illness, he can still be held in a mental health facility for the remainder of his life. If he is found competent, I am not concerned about the death penalty because I do not believe any jury would give him less than 30 years and that would make him nearly 90 years old. He doesn't exactly look to be in the best health, so in my opinion, anything over 20 years would be a death sentence anyway. The needle is humane anyway. I would rather see him suffer with cancer and minimal treatment in jail or a state facility for the remainder of his days.

ALL MOO

 

[JerseyGirl]

Suspect in 1988 killing of Indiana girl, 8, appears in court

 

[Hatfield]

JMO
I agree with others that he may have committed other crimes. I hope LE is looking at any other sexually deviant or other unsolved crimes nearby wherever he lived.

I think he chose mainly young victims because he knew he could overpower them. So any other victims are likely ones he felt he could overpower. Maybe even older females that are smaller in stature.

 

[Niner]

Okay - all the articles that I've been reading here has April's age as 8. But out title says she is 9. - ??

And thanks all for the articles!!

 

[Ontario Mom]

I hadn't read far enough ahead to see the article about the brother when I replied.

Now I am concerned about mental health issues. But even if he is found not guilty due to mental illness, he can still be held in a mental health facility for the remainder of his life. If he is found competent, I am not concerned about the death penalty because I do not believe any jury would give him less than 30 years and that would make him nearly 90 years old. He doesn't exactly look to be in the best health, so in my opinion, anything over 20 years would be a death sentence anyway. The needle is humane anyway. I would rather see him suffer with cancer and minimal treatment in jail or a state facility for the remainder of his days.

ALL MOO

To me, if the guy can live on his own and keep a job for many years... he's more than competent, even if he does have some type of mental challenge.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Okay - all the articles that I've been reading here has April's age as 8. But out title says she is 9. - ??

And thanks all for the articles!!

I will change it. Thanks for noticing!

 

[Niner]

Boy you're fast!

 

[DakotaMayi]

He sure had a lot of speeding tickets I noticed. Anyone know what the "D" stands for in his middle name? Just curious.
TIA!

I have an answer to that question, but I'm not sure that is what you were asking

 

[DakotaMayi]

To me, if the guy can live on his own and keep a job for many years... he's more than competent, even if he does have some type of mental challenge.

Yeah you can't be competent enough to hold down a job and take care of yourself oh and commit a crime and evade LE but not be competent enough to be punished for it. Can't have it both ways.

 

[Ontario Mom]

I have an answer to that question, but I'm not sure that is what you were asking

I suspect we could all come up with a few appropriate suggestions.

 

[Hatfield]

Yeah you can't be competent enough to hold down a job and take care of yourself oh and commit a crime and evade LE but not be competent enough to be punished for it. Can't have it both ways.

JMO
I agree. I think the state will likely do the normal phsychological assessment and they may find instabilities and other things but I dont think its going to prevent him from being prosecuted.

It has gotten very difficult to use the insanity defense.

 

[Niner]

I have an answer to that question, but I'm not sure that is what you were asking

k... I must have missed something.... or are you just trying cause trouble?!

LOL!

 

[DakotaMayi]

k... I must have missed something.... or are you just trying cause trouble?!

LOL!

Nevermind me, Niner.

 

[kshultz06082]

To me, if the guy can live on his own and keep a job for many years... he's more than competent, even if he does have some type of mental challenge.

I agree wholeheartedly. I personally am disabled due to mental health issues, but i can assure you, I know right from wrong which as far as I know is the major defining factor in a mental incompetence defense. Most people with some form of mental health issue know right from wrong, so I am happy that it's becoming harder to use that as a defense.

 

[morf13]

To me, if the guy can live on his own and keep a job for many years... he's more than competent, even if he does have some type of mental challenge.

I agree, and he took steps to avoid capture, and taunted the police and made more threats over the years

 

[Hatfield]

JMO
I read up on some of the old cold cases that were never solved in Indiana.

Most I outruled this perp because of certain things. The one case that I kept at the top of the list as possible involvement by this same person is this case below.

Not sure if he can be tied to that area at the time but this case has some similarities. Mainly that strangulation was involved in most of them and also sexual assault.

3 boys murdered from Henryville in 1977.

Henryville is a direct straight shot south from Fort Wayne taking I-69 through Indianapolis and south on I-65 to Henryville.

Most of them, if not all, were strangled in addition to other injuries and most, if not all, were sexually molested.

I think it was said the perp in Tinsley's case may have been abused at a boys camp he attended when young so I would not put it past him to cross over into murdering young boys as well.

IN - IN - Richard Sweeney 8, Jeffrey Burkett 15, & Donald Abell 19, Henryville, 1977

ETA J.M. would have been about 18 years old in 1977 if my math is right. He is 59 years old now.

 

[Ontario Mom]

So I'm trying to reconcile these two bits of info.

1. "Investigators collected three used condoms from his trash on July 6 and found the DNA was a match to evidence recovered from the 1988 crime scene." Investigators used condoms from suspect’s trash, genealogist to crack infamous 30-year-old cold case

2. The brother says John was born a little slow, and never had a girlfriend. DIGGING DEEPER: Brother of April Tinsley murder suspect says 'my brother died' yesterday

Thoughts?