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Rosa enters guilty plea in wife’s 2023 murder
A Greencastle man has pleaded guilty to the May 2023 slaying of his wife.
On Thursday morning, 73-year-old Joseph Rosa entered a change of plea in Putnam Circuit Court. He is set for sentencing by Judge Matthew Headley at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26.
Rosa found his 74-year-old wife Nancy dead in their living room on the morning of May 14, 2023. According to the probable cause affidavit, he first contacted a friend, saying that he woke up around 10 a.m. to find his wife lying on the floor, covered in blood and stiff to the touch.
At Rosa’s request, the friend called 911.
The deputies who responded to the home in the 3000 block of South County Road 550 West found Nancy Rosa’s body in the living room with multiple gunshot wounds and contacted Detective Capt. Doug Nally, who led the investigation.
Investigators found DNA and other forensic evidence that pointed to Joseph Rosa having pulled the trigger. This included evidence that her wounds came from close range, that they came from a .357 revolver belonging to her husband that was found lying nearby as well as blood spatter on Joseph’s clothing and hand.
Throughout the investigation, Joseph Rosa maintained that he had no memory of the incident. However, he also admitted that he and his wife had a contentious relationship.
According to court records, Rosa eventually concluded that though he had no memory, he must have shot his wife before holding out his hands as if for handcuffs, saying “take me to jail.”
He made similarly self-incriminating remarks during his initial hearing in 2023, with Judge Headley advising him not to elaborate.
Thursday’s proceedings did not reveal any new memories from Rosa, simply an admission that the evidence pointed overwhelmingly at him.
Public defender Todd Meyer walked Rosa through the facts of the case, with the defendant rarely giving more than a one-word answer such as “yes,” “no” or “correct.”
After a point-by-point review of the evidence, Meyer asked his most pointed question.
“If this case were to go to trial, based on this evidence I’ve shared with you today, do you have any reason to believe the State of Indiana could not prove your guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, Mr. Rosa?” Meyer asked.
“No,” came Rosa’s simple answer.
Chief Deputy Prosecutor Austin Malayer had no line of cross examination, simply asking that Rosa confirm that the events took place in Putnam County.
After asking for clarification that Rosa believed the evidence would prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, Headley entered a judgment of guilty in the case.
The hearing then turned to the matter of a sentencing date, with Meyer saying his client wanted to get into the Department of Correction as soon as possible, as he has a number of medical issues that he believes the state would be better equipped to handle than the county jail, including having lived without his hearing aids these past 15 months. Rosa was in a wheelchair for the proceedings, and the microphones in the Circuit Courtroom were utilized for his benefit.
“The sooner the better, I guess, from our standpoint,” Meyer said.
Malayer said that preparing for the hearing would “take some time,” as he believes a number of people will be called to testify during sentencing.
Headley ultimately settled on the seven-week wait due to some conflicts on the calendar.
Murder carries a sentencing range of 45-65 years with an advisory sentence of 55 years.
Rosa retired from a long career as an Indiana Conservation Officer before taking on a similar role at the DePauw Nature Park when it first opened.