Robbins charged with manslaughter

Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Robbins

GREENCASTLE -- A Cloverdale man was formally charged in Putnam County Circuit Court Tuesday with Class A felony voluntary manslaughter.

Jared T. Robbins, 22, is accused in the shooting death of Donald E. Lowe III, 28, of Martinsville.

Robbins allegedly shot Lowe in the chest outside a Cloverdale residence. The shooting is alleged to have happened sometime between 11 p.m. Saturday and midnight on Sunday.

Judge Matthew Headley set Robbins' bond at $100,000 cash only. A pretrial conference in the case is set for Oct. 14. As of Tuesday night, Robbins remained in the Putnam County Jail.

According to the FindLaw website (www.criminal.findlaw.com), "Voluntary manslaughter is commonly defined as an intentional killing in which the offender had no prior intent to kill, such as a killing that occurs in the heat of passion. The circumstances leading to the killing must be the kind that would cause a reasonable person to become emotionally or mentally disturbed, otherwise the killing may be charged as first-degree or second-degree murder."

An eyewitness to the shooting told police Robbins fired five to seven rounds at Lowe with a handgun, and believed at least two of them struck Lowe.

Robbins fled the scene in a car, the witness said. Within an hour of the shooting, police found and apprehended Robbins.

Robbins had just been released from prison in July. He was convicted in Putnam County Circuit Court in March 2009 on a Class B felony burglary charge and was given a 2 1/2-year sentence. In January, he was sentenced in Marion County to one-year concurrent sentences for felony criminal recklessness and intimidation.

Robbins was initially arrested in Putnam County in October 2008, and had been in jail ever since.

The shooting allegedly occurred at the Burma Road home of Jared Robbins' cousin, Billy Robbins, 44. Billy Robbins was also arrested, as he was released from prison into a community transition program in late July. Since he was on home detention and technically still an Indiana Department of Correction inmate, any involvement in any alleged crime violated the terms of the transition program.

According to court records, petitions to revoke Billy Robbins' placement on home detention and probation, as well as a request for a warrant for his arrest, were filed on Monday.

A jail official said on Tuesday night that Billy Robbins was no longer listed as a Putnam County Jail inmate. An official at the Putnamville Correctional Facility said Billy Robbins is also not on record as being incarcerated at any DOC facility.

Lowe was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy was performed in Terre Haute, and the results should be available sometime today, Deputy Coroner Brian Hopkins said.

Should Jared Robbins be convicted of a Class A felony, he could be sentenced to a maximum of 50 years in prison. The advisory sentence for a Class A felony is 30 years, while the minimum sentence is 20 years.

Lowe's is the third shooting death in Putnam County this year.

Jeremy Bledsoe, 31, of Reelsville was charged on Jan. 14 with felony murder in connection with the shooting death of his wife of 10 years, Kathryne.

Bledsoe is alleged to have shot his wife at the couple's home on the morning of Jan. 13 -- while the couple's 3-year-old and 20-month-old children and Jeremy's grandmother, who also lived with the couple -- were in the house.

The Bledsoes' oldest child, 6, was in class at Reelsville Elementary School at the time of the shooting. The school is directly across the street from the house where the family lived.

Court records allege that Bledsoe left the home after the shooting. He remained at large for more than 12 hours before being apprehended without incident in the Cataract area.

Members of Kathryne Bledsoe's family said the Bledsoe's marriage had been marred throughout by incidents of violence, and that Kathryne Bledsoe was planning to divorce her husband.

The cause of Kathryne Bledsoe's death was determined to be a single gunshot wound to the head.

Bledsoe remains lodged at the Putnam County Jail, where he has been held without bond since his arrest. A jury trial in the case is set to begin on Oct. 18. The deadline for any plea agreements is Sept. 30.

If convicted, Bledsoe could face 45 to 65 years in prison. The advisory sentence is 55 years.

On April 29, Matthew Buis, 40, of Van Bibber Lake was charged with Class A felony voluntary manslaughter in connection with the April 27 shooting death of Clifford Hulse, 57.

According to court records, Buis and Hulse were neighbors, and Buis allegedly shot Hulse in Hulse's garage after the two argued and Hulse ordered Buis to leave his property.

An autopsy report said Hulse died of a single gunshot wound to the mid-chest. The bullet struck an artery, causing Hulse to bleed to death.

Buis has claimed he shot Hulse in self-defense.

Buis' bond was set at $100,000 cash only, and he also remains in the Putnam County Jail. A pretrial conference in Buis' case is set for Thursday.

Comments
View 16 comments
Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. Please note that those who post comments on this website may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.
  • first nitpick of the story.

    "between 11 p.m. Saturday and midnight on Sunday."

    That is a 24 hour spread. They couldn't narrow the time frame any closer than that?

    -- Posted by exhoosier2 on Wed, Aug 25, 2010, at 7:11 AM
  • exhoosier2, it is a 1 hour time spread, midnight is 12:00am, the first minute of the day, not the last.

    -- Posted by THxGC on Wed, Aug 25, 2010, at 7:18 AM
  • The Prosecutor might want to obtain more information into this case. Voluntary Manslaughter is when the offender did not plan prior to the incident. Robbins was released from Putnamville Correctional Facility on Parole and Probation on 07/06/10. Lowe was released from jail on 07/05/10. You may want to "check it out", it was probably premeditated. That will make it plain ole MURDER.

    -- Posted by Taxpayer5253 on Wed, Aug 25, 2010, at 7:24 AM
  • WOW, remember the days when there might be one murder in put co every 10 to 15 years? now we have 3 this year already? growing up here in the 60's and 70's when someone spoke about "the murder" you knew exactly what they were talking about since it was the only one in recent history (even including the hollandsburg murders which wasn't in put co) but now, the answer is "which one you talking about". things are not evolving for the better in society is it?

    -- Posted by BORNINPUTCO on Wed, Aug 25, 2010, at 10:58 AM
  • what a joke...I just got censored for say can't fix stupid. LOL

    -- Posted by ou812 on Wed, Aug 25, 2010, at 11:21 AM
  • Is the most billy robbins being charged or let of easy again?

    -- Posted by METO on Wed, Aug 25, 2010, at 11:23 AM
  • correction from above post...saying not say.

    -- Posted by ou812 on Wed, Aug 25, 2010, at 11:27 AM
  • taxpayer..where did you get your law degree? cracker jack box !! I am wondering where you got your information on his PREMEDITATION of murder. Last time I heard probably was not sustainable in court. can't fix -----!!! sorry can't say stupid on here or you get censored by bg WEBMASTER....lol

    -- Posted by ou812 on Wed, Aug 25, 2010, at 1:54 PM
  • I would like to know who's gun did he use,and why was he in posession of it,a convicted felon brings a gun to a party he's going to do something with it!

    -- Posted by obeone on Wed, Aug 25, 2010, at 3:51 PM
  • From a fathers heart. All you people need to get a real life. Anyone posting the comments to the first story especially the Bladen Family, believe in carma! You, the State of Indiana, and Putnam County had no evidence against Donnie. Please never let me read anything tragic that happens to your family, I'd love to stab you thru the heart with words. I ask that everyone in Putnam County watch this case and possibly review any ties between our prosecutor and the Robbins Family. How does a man get sentenced to a 10 year sentence to start this year already be out on community Transition. Maybe we should all ask Tim Robbins who he paid the $6,000.00 dollars to when he sold his Backhoe. Our family has been devistated. Donnie did have a great heart and was always a follower and not a leader, easily influenced. Once again to the Bladen family don't make assumptions. The people you are after are finally behind bars.

    -- Posted by rville@ on Wed, Aug 25, 2010, at 10:14 PM
  • WE WOULD LIKE THE PEOPLE OF PUTNAM CO. TO KNOW THAT THE FAMILY OF DONALD LOWE HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THEIR SONS DEATH AS OF 8/30 THEIR SON WAS SHOT TO DEATH THEY WERE CALLED BY HIS GIRLFRIEND AS HE LAY DYING SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO CALLED 911 THE PARENTS HAVE CALLED MANY TIMES TO FIND OUT WHY THEY WERE NEVER NOTIFIED 11 TIMES TO BE EXACT THEY WERE TOLD LEAVE YOUR NAME AND NUMBER AND SOMEONE WILL CALL YOU MR LOWE WAS KILLED 8/21 AS OF THIS DATE NO ONE CONTACTED THEM WE WONDER HOW MANY OTHER FAMILES HAVE HAD TO HEAR ABOUT IT ON THE NEWS AS THEY DID WHY HAS NO ONE FROM THE SHERIFF DEPT.COME TO TALK TO THEM

    -- Posted by rville@ on Mon, Aug 30, 2010, at 11:27 PM
  • If someone tried to choke you to death on your own property, what the hell would you do to defend yourself?

    -- Posted by Robu812 on Thu, Sep 23, 2010, at 5:15 PM
  • LOL it takes someone really stupid to say something like that....Lets think about this ma..

    -- Posted by Tinamae on Thu, Jun 16, 2011, at 1:52 AM
  • OK I'm done maybe he shouldn't had mess with Donnie and then Donnie wouldn't had to put him in a head lock.Sounds like to me Donnie didn't wont to kick his butt lets say.But some people can't handle that,they have to get their gun out and take someone DAD,SON,Brother and Nephew. Some people believe that what goes around comes around...DO YOU? what prison is he going to ????? You don't need to tell me I'll know before you will.

    -- Posted by Tinamae on Thu, Jun 16, 2011, at 2:26 AM
  • if everyone must know donnie got killed because billy robbins robbed the cloverdale bank and he found out about it so now jarrod will face 80 yrs and the robbins family is threatenin the family of donnie lowe how low is that why cant they just leave it alone

    -- Posted by sdamons on Wed, Nov 2, 2011, at 8:41 PM
  • To all that are following ths story Jared's trial date has once again been rescheduled is now 01/31/12. Please get out and show your support that JUSTICE BE SERVED. One of the biggest problems with this happening is the County Prosecutors ties to the Robbins family. There have been requests for a Special Prosecutor and a change of venue that have all fell on deaf ears. Jared Robbins family members still continue to commit local crimes in Putnam County and nothing ever happens to them, go figure. I totally believe what goes around comes around. Billy, Travis,Michelle and other family members... THE CLOCK IS TICKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    -- Posted by rville@2 on Fri, Nov 11, 2011, at 9:45 AM
Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: