Alleged killer facing six felony counts

Friday, August 19, 2011

ROCKVILLE -- A Cloverdale man was in Parke Circuit Court Wednesday facing two murder charges, along with four other Class A felonies.

Jeremy Musall, 27, was charged with two counts of murder, two counts of burglary resulting in bodily injury, rape and kidnapping.

Musall is accused of killing just one person, 30-year-old Joseph Snow. The first murder charge alleges that he killed Snow at a woman's home in southeastern Parke County. The second alleges he killed Snow while committing another felony -- in this case burglary, rape or kidnapping.

At his initial hearing, Musall appeared without a lawyer, so Judge Sam Swaim appointed Jim Bruner as his public defender. The court entered a preliminary plea of not guilty on Musall's behalf.

The judge set a trial date for Oct. 25 with a pre-trial conference of Oct. 6.

Musall is being held without bond. Additionally, Swaim issued a no-contact order with the alleged rape victim.

It is alleged that in the early morning hours of Aug. 13, Musall broke into the woman's home near Rocky Fork Lake in Parke County, where he killed Snow and raped the woman. He then allegedly put the body in his car with the intention of dumping the body in rural Putnam County.

He also allegedly took the child as leverage to get the woman to follow him.

Parke County Chief Deputy Bill Todd said Musall had a prior relationship with the woman.

Putnam County Deputies later located Musall's car on Creek Road near Greencastle, but lost contact with him. He was later arrested by Cloverdale Police Officer Charlie Hallam at his mother's home in Cloverdale, assisted by Putnam County Sheriff's Deputies and Indiana State Troopers.

The child was unharmed throughout the string of incidents.

The Putnam County Sheriff's Department located Snow's body in a cornfield off of County Road 500 West.

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  • "The child was unharmed throughout the string of incidents."

    No, the child has been harmed quite a bit by my estimation.

    -- Posted by Clovertucky on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 12:34 AM
  • I don't know this woman or her personal affairs but come on.."she basically got Joe killed by playing both men"? Give me a break! If she did that, I'm not saying it's right but lots of women and men "play" or leave their significant other/spouse for another and it doesn't make them to blame when their ex breaks into their home, kills their lover, rapes and beats them, kidnaps their child, and dumps the body. What would most of us do in that situation? Be mad, hurt, yell, maybe break a few dishes, and then eventually move on realizing that anyone that would do that to us isn't worth having in the first place. Not commit murder, rape, and kidnapping. I read the other day where people were commenting they felt sorry for Jeremy and that he is a good guy Umm no..he isn't. He took part in beating a guy almost to death 3 years ago, and the fact that he was capable of doing the things he is currently charged with, no matter what happened to him, eliminates the possibility of him being a "good guy". It makes him a very dangerous, scary guy that hopefully spends the rest of his life behind bars so he can't hurt anyone ever again!

    -- Posted by putnammom on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 7:47 AM
  • My vote goes for Putnammom.......I agree. I know people who have had a spouse "play" like that.. and none of them have committed murder or done anything along that line.

    -- Posted by idiotpatrolman on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 8:45 AM
  • This woman is NOT innocent. Witnesses say she called or texted Jeremy and asked him to come to her house. SHE LET HIM IN!!! After helping Jeremy with everything that happened, she packed a diaper bag for the baby!! I don't know about anyone else, but if I were kidnapping a child, I don't think I would worry about a diaper bag! And, can anyone tell me, why, if this woman was raped, did she DENY A RAPE KIT!!!!!! Open your eyes, people. She is just as guilty. And, when the police figure everything out, she will spend the rest of her life in prison, right along with Jeremy. I love Jeremy dearly. I have known him for a very long time. But, I do agree that he gets what he deserves. But, he didn't do this alone, he shouldn't serve time alone.

    -- Posted by purplemonkey on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 9:30 AM
  • in case people dont realize you all have to know the facts and dont forget they both who are involved in this have children and parents so lets be respectful and not say mean things on here because they know how to read and they are smart and all you are doing is hurting those who know the facts and as for people saying bad things about jeremy musall remember this we do not know the true facts so we can not judge so please keep that in mind and my heart goes out to the children in this tragic affair and to jermey musalls mom and son i am here for you both may god bless you and your family

    -- Posted by nelliebells70 on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 9:43 AM
  • Apollo has a point, others seem to think that there are set rules for crimes of passion that are limited to property damage. This is a Putnam County sport for housewives... the outcome is the only surprise.

    If either man had posessed any common sense, they'd be sharing a twelve pack of beer in a fishing boat right about now, comparing stories and chuckling about her.

    -- Posted by westforty on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 10:13 AM
  • sorry this is not a sport for housewives. this is a serious thing that has happened and all need to be serious and not say stupid things not all women are stupid or dumb. their are women who hold offices here in this county and the are smart to so lets get to the point its not a sport for women this is a real life event that has happened so lets be real and not put blame until all the facts are in and let the police and attorneys decide the fates of these peoples lives not people cracking pot shots at one another and let the legal system say the facts and give the verdict

    -- Posted by nelliebells70 on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 11:26 AM
  • Funny that this is all on only jeremy.. The woman's home was spotless when the police came to see it. The baby was also in a car-seat and had a diaper bag packed... Sure, that was a kidnapping. And of course the killer would stay behind and clean up his mess in the heat of a rash decision... I'm sorry, I still believe this was planned by her and he was a tool in its execution.

    -- Posted by ebb&flow on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 11:41 AM
  • No. This is not a sport for ALL women. This is a sport for THIS woman. She thinks she is untouchable. Some people already have facts that the police are still investigating, and some the police don't know yet. She will get hers. I understand that people can read, and feelings do get hurt. But this woman's parents, should know by now, that she is nothing but trouble. Everyone else who knows her already does...

    -- Posted by purplemonkey on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 11:44 AM
  • thank you to ebb&flow well said. and thanks to purplemonkey for for restating what you meant and i happen to agree with you both the family thanks you and so do i.

    -- Posted by nelliebells70 on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 12:00 PM
  • Didn't mean to offend, nelliebells, but yes, it's a popular sport that I've participated in many times. One incident cost me twelve bucks to get my haircut leveled back out after a jealous husband tried to fix his broken marriage with a thirtyeight. He and I ended up being best friends. I'm sure I just gave myself away with that story as many people are familiar with it.

    As far as smart women in the community, I've played a few rounds with them too. Some won high paying jobs with the game, others married into money. Some went on down the road but are still remembered on hot summer afternoons over a few cold ones with good company in a fishing boat.

    I don't know the woman involved but I had the pleasure of Jeremy being my employee. He's not the killer this story depicts but is someone to reckon with if done wrong and would make a perfect victim for "the sport".

    -- Posted by westforty on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 1:18 PM
  • Thank you Nellie. I'm sure that the evidence is there, after all, THIS particular woman only relies on word of mouth that her stories are true. She thinks that a batt of the eye and a few tears is all it takes. Yes, that is true of some people, however; the police are a different game entirely. I can only hope that instead of only focusing on Jeremy (for the fact that they could try to get him his third strike with this), they look close and catch ALL of the involved. I understand he has a violent history, however that gives the hand of justice no right to give him anything less than a fair trial and a THOROUGH investigation.

    -- Posted by ebb&flow on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 2:31 PM
  • To westforty...thank you...

    "I don't know the woman involved but I had the pleasure of Jeremy being my employee. He's not the killer this story depicts but is someone to reckon with if done wrong and would make a perfect victim for "the sport"."

    -- Posted by purplemonkey on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 2:49 PM
  • I just love how people judge people that they dont even know, just because what they read in the paper! I personally know Jeremy and I agree with "purplemonkey" he is not the "murder" that they paper makes him out to be, nor the person you all are assumeing he is because of what you have heard! Do you realize that the story that is in the paper, IS "HER" ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAPPENED!!! This is a girl, who yes very much played 2 men against each other! She is also the girl who, Had a party the VERY NEXT DAY!!! And also the one who was seen around town, ALREADY with ANOTHER MAN!!! Yeah she's just so tore up about this all isnt she!!??? Before you judge someone, know all the facts, and they will ALL come out soon! There is always 2 sides to the story! And only one of them is the truth! What happened to INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY???!!!

    -- Posted by they call me mommy on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 3:51 PM
  • @ to they call me mommy.. who dumped the body of joe in a corn field again?? who beat him to DEATH?? oh but you were there so you know what went on Right? and did you personally see her with another man in town, or did you go to that party with her??? if not i would keep your mouth shut.. b/c NOONE KNOWS THE TRUTH.. BUT THE ONES INVOLVED. not you, or any other person on this site!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    -- Posted by crazyme on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 4:14 PM
  • But she does...and it will come out...

    -- Posted by purplemonkey on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 4:18 PM
  • I really think the Banner needs to review this whole comment thing, especially on this story. To me, there seems to be a couple who are stirring hte pot and saying things here that need to be told to investigators. In general, the comments on this and other stories are getting out of hand. It would be fine with me if the BG eliminated comments altogether on most stories.

    -- Posted by purple_heat on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 4:25 PM
  • @ crazyme: You make the mistake in assuming that some of the people here don't have a direct line to the investigation and its discoveries. You would be correct to assume that only the two involved know what was going on that night, however, their accounts don't matter in the face of forensic method. You speak as though Putnam County is a big place and many people do NOT know what she did the next day. Put your unstable ground of assumptions in check and realize that blasting out like a pregnant, white-trash, woman flailing and screaming in some person's front lawn doesn't help: It only makes yourself look stupid.

    -- Posted by ebb&flow on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 4:58 PM
  • Well, it doesn't matter if the defendants friends think he is just a swell guy or not. He murdered somebody, and if folks knew as much as they "think" they do about things they would do well to read the 3rd paragraph of this story because it's very important..."The second alleges he killed Snow while committing another felony -- in this case burglary, rape or kidnapping." The Prosecutor filed this for a reason, they are going to give your friend the needle.

    -- Posted by linuxroxx on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 8:02 PM
  • Murder is murder. Period. It doesn't matter if it's a scorned lover or not, you don't kill someone and expect to get away with it. My thought on this is that he walked into a, well let's just call it a mess, (whether he was invited by her or not), he got mad and started hitting this guy. Which, in all honesty, most men or women would do. However, this is where a normal, healthy and sane person would stop. It takes a monster to keep beating someone until they are dead. And no matter the circumstances, he needs to go to jail for life because he obviously does not have any kind of self control and there is nothing more dangerous than an angry person with no control over themselves.

    -- Posted by WTFRUthinkin on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 10:13 PM
  • The point in the last sentence of my later post pertaining to crazyme has been vindicated. Thank you. I do appreciate someone willing to act out a scene in my paragraph. Your participation shall not go unmerited: You shall receive one, and only one, cookie for your good deed upon this writer's day. (In layman's terms: Thanks, you're good for a laugh, have a cookie.) Do you prefer chocolate chip or oreo?

    -- Posted by ebb&flow on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 10:59 PM
  • really ppl she cant go to a store to buy an outfit to wear to joes funeral she cant stay sheltered forever so get over tryin to blame her and realize jeremy did this if u actually knew as much as u play to than u would know she left jeremy due to the fact he already layed hands on her in the 9 weeks they dated............... a week before he came and murdered joe im **** sure he had been threatening her and her child so joe was there protecting his daughter who meant the world to him and so did his daughters mother or he would not of been there and for as a clean house ur pretty dumb if u think it was clean. U all need to really back off if anything for the kids sake

    -- Posted by snowsangels on Fri, Aug 19, 2011, at 11:38 PM