TERRE HAUTE —
While the federal prosecution has concluded for seven people charged in connection with the July 2011 shooting death of a Terre Haute police officer, those seven defendants still face criminal charges on the county court level.
The Vigo County court cases against Jenny Torres, Charles Elkins and Jesse Padgett II — three of the defendants charged in connection with the July 2011 death of Officer Brent Long — have been venued to Monroe County.
Elkins and Torres are now being held in the Vigo County Jail awaiting trial. Padgett is in federal prison at Oxford, Wis., with a release date of Aug. 13, 2013. He likely will be released to local court custody.
The Monroe Circuit Court has hearing dates set for Aug. 31 for both Elkins and Torres. The transfer of Padgett’s case to Monroe County was ordered Tuesday in Vigo Superior Court 3, and no local court dates have been set for him in Bloomington.
Meanwhile, hearing dates have been set for today in Vigo Superior Court 6 for Brad Keller and Scott Griffy. Plea agreements for both men have been in the works, and a change-of-plea hearing for Keller is set for 1:30 p.m. today. Keller has been in federal custody, with a release date of Feb. 15, 2013. Griffy is in local custody at the Vigo County Jail.
Keller was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison. He signed a plea agreement admitting to supplying the gun used in Long’s shooting death.
Griffy also signed a plea agreement admitting that he sold that same gun to Shaun Seeley, a convicted felon, who used the contraband handgun to shoot Long when the K-9 police officer was assisting federal officers in serving an arrest warrant on Seeley at a house on North Eighth Street in Terre Haute. Seeley died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after killing Long.
Elkins, Torres and Padgett were arrested at the scene of the shooting, along with Roberta Utterback and Heather Elkins.
A trial date of July 30 is still set for Heather Elkins in Division 6 court. That trial date could be continued. Heather Elkins is in federal custody at the Greenville, Ill., prison. She is due to be released Aug. 22
Utterback is in local custody at the Vigo County Jail. Her next court date is Thursday in Vigo Superior Court 5.
Utterback and Padgett were sentenced to 21 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to making a material false statement to police on the day of the shooting. Heather Elkins received a 12-month federal sentence after pleading guilty to the same offense. Torres also pleaded guilty to making a material false statement and served 11 months in federal custody before being transferred to the Vigo County Jail.
Utterback has multiple drug-related criminal charges pending in Division 5 court. Heather Elkins also has multiple criminal cases pending in Division 6 court.
Reporter Lisa Trigg can be reached at (812) 231-4254 or lisa.trigg@tribstar.com. Follow her on Twitter @TribStarLisa.
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