Notice of appeal filed in Buis case
GREENCASTLE -- A Van Bibber Lake man sentenced to 18 years for killing his neighbor is appealing the court's decision.
A notice of appeal was filed earlier this week by Joel Wieneke, the attorney for Matthew Buis, 40.
Buis was convicted of Class B felony voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced on Dec. 13.
Buis pled guilty to the charge, which stemmed from the April 27 shooting death of Clifford Hulse, 57, on Nov. 22.
Judge Matthew Headley ordered that 16 years of Buis' sentence would be executed, while the remaining two would be suspended and spent on probation.
Buis received credit for the 230 days he had served at the Putnam County Jail.
Buis could have received a maximum sentence of 20 years.
According to court records, Buis, who lived across the road from Hulse, showed up at Hulse's home about 2 a.m. on the day of the shooting. The two men had an argument, and Hulse asked Buis to leave.
Buis refused, and at that point, witnesses told police, he pulled a handgun from his pocket and fired two rounds. The first round went over Hulse's head, the witness said, while the second hit Hulse.
Hulse was pronounced dead at the scene.
The cause of Hulse's death was listed on official records as a single gunshot wound to the mid-chest.
Buis maintained throughout court proceedings that he shot Hulse in self-defense.