Menu
Attkisson murder investigation ongoing, even as trials on hold
Before COVID-19 arrived, dominating the lives and attention of not only Putnam County residents, but much of the world, another major incident was on the mind of many in Greenastle and surrounding communities.
Lisa Attkisson was brutally murdered at her south side Greencastle home in late January.
Six days after Attkisson’s body was discovered, John Gonzalez was arrested near the location where Attkisson’s stolen vehicle was found wrecked in Rock Island County, Ill.
Gonzalez, 29, was charged with murder and other crimes and returned to Putnam County for his initial court hearing on Feb. 10.
While social distancing restrictions have severely limited the criminal justice system in the last month and brought jury trials to a temporary halt, the Putnam County Prosecutor’s Office is still pursuing the case.
“We are still busy getting records and evidence because some of the allegations allegedly happened in a number of counties in Indiana and the state of Illinois,” Putnam County Prosecutor Tim Bookwalter said. The case is currently set for a June 9 jury trial, though Bookwalter has serious doubts about this timeframe.
“Our initial witness list includes 64 witnesses and at least that many exhibits,” Bookwalter said. “Add COVID-19 to the mix and I doubt June will be a go.”
Still, Bookwalter, public defender Jim Hanner and Judge Denny Bridges met for a March 25 pretrial conference, with friends of Attkisson’s outside with signs begging for “Justice for Lisa” and “No plea deal.”
No such deal has been mentioned in the case. At this point, the bigger issue is addressing when social distancing restrictions can be lifted, as a jury trial requires dozens of people to be in one room together.
“The criminal justice system hasn’t addressed yet when we can restart the jury system,” Bookwalter said. “In a case like this you would have a jury pool of at least 50 citizens. Twelve would be picked along with two alternate jurors and they would be kept in the jury room when the trial is not in session.”
Besides this, there would be the judge, court staff, attorneys on both sides, witnesses and police and security officers, not to mention members of the general public.
While video conferencing has solved many problems recently, both in and out of courtrooms, a jury trial is a different animal — for the sake of the accused person most of all.
“A major felony jury is not the type of thing you can accomplish by video conferencing,” Bookwalter said. “Defendants have the constitutional right to confront and cross examine their accusers.”
Not only is Gonzalez charged with murder, but also Level 6 felony auto theft, Level 6 felony theft of a firearm, Level 4 felony unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and Level 5 felony carrying a handgun by a person with a felony conviction in the last 15 years.
The Terre Haute man’s criminal history is extensive, with a 2012 conviction for Class D felony sexual battery (reduced from a Class B felony rape charge), a 2012 Class A misdemeanor domestic battery conviction (reduced from a Class D felony) and a 2015 guilty plea to Level 6 felony robbery.
While serving four years in prison for the robbery conviction, Gonzalez also had a lingering Vigo County charge of Level 5 felony battery resulting in serious bodily injury.
That case, however, never made it to trial, with several continuances requested by the prosecution.
Last September, Gonzalez was released from the Department of Correction, but was not taken into the custody of the Vigo County Jail.
He subsequently took up residence in Greencastle with Attkisson,44, whose body was found at her home on Jan. 28, with her car and several other items missing.
With these events in mind, Bookwalter also sought a habitual offender enhancement in the case.
Gonzalez could face more than 90 years in prison if convicted.
These are questions for another day, though. At this point, prosecutors like Bookwalter are simply having to take a wait-and-see approach until jury trials can be restarted.
“Solving these issues is certainly above my pay grade,” the veteran prosecutor said, “but I know the powers to be at the state and federal level are working on these problems right now.”