TH murder suspect in custody after allegedly shooting man in head following girlfriend's attempted sexual battery report

 

Sandlin/Vigo Co. Jail - He is charged with murder



By Lucy Perry 

Indiana Central News


A man wanted for murder was apprehended on Terre Haute's north side Wednesday night .


Richard "Tony" Sandlin, 55, of Terre Haute, was booked into the Vigo County Jail around  11 p.m. He is charged with:

  • Murder
  • Unlawful carrying of a handgun by felon
  • Burglary, while armed with a deadly weapon
  • Battery committed with a deadly weapon
  • Reckless driving 
  • Escape from lawful detention
He also had an active warrant for probation violation on an unrelated case.



Sandlin was considered armed and dangerous, as he evaded police for four days following the murder of Donald Riley, also of Terre Haute. He was ultimately captured by Terre Haute Police Department officers, assisted by multiple law enforcement agencies, including U.S. Marshals and the Indiana State Police.


Victim Donald Riley/ Facebook photo





The suspect was  found near Gallagher Road and Rio Grande Avenue around 9 p.m.


According to the probable cause affidavit, filed by Detective Phil Ralston, of the THPD, Sandlin's girlfriend, Martha Custer, 49, filed an attempted sexual battery report on the victim after an alleged incident occurred on the front porch of their Third Avenue residence Aug. 30. Police note this as a possible motive for Sandlin's anger towards Riley at the time of the shooting. She has not been charged in connection to the murder.


Custer, previous book in photo She has not been charged in connection to the shooting.




The THPD murder investigation began when the victim was found fatally shot in the head at a home located at 1101 Eighth Ave. Saturday night. The suspect had reportedly fled the scene on a motorcycle prior to police arrival.

A witness -- who had stopped by the home of a friend just before the shooting -- stated he had heard a motorcycle pull up on the side of the house and come to a stop. The suspect then came to the back door of the residence. A verbal altercation was taking place, when the witness said he noticed a chrome revolver pointed at the victim.

A single gunshot was fired. Riley fell to the ground.

Several witnesses said they saw Sandlin leave on the motorcycle after the shooting. One witness claimed Sandlin even bragged he had taken care of "Don Don, " according tot he court documents.

--

See related story: https://indianacentralnews.blogspot.com/2022/09/terre-haute-police-looking-for-person.html





Popular posts from this blog

Terre Haute man sentenced in federal drug trafficking case

Image
By Lucy Perry  Indiana Central News A Terre Haute man was sentenced to more than 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in a drug trafficking case.  Matthew Beeler, 32,was sentenced for his part in the recent drug trafficking case, according to a press release Thursday from United States Department of Justice -Southern District of Indiana. He will be on probation for five years following his sentence of    183 months in prison.  In November 2020, emergency crews responded to a report of a possible heroin overdose involving several people at a Terre Haute residence. While responding, Terre Haute Police Department officers located drugs, guns and various other items associated with trafficking throughout the home.   Beeler and another individual were reportedly found unresponsive at the scene. Medics administered Narcan at the time and then found a large p...
Read more

Police say man was angry with son when he fired shots at his home

Image
By Lucy Perry Indiana Central News A Terre Haute man was taken into custody after police say he fired multiple shots into a relative's home and vehicle early Sunday morning. John Lyman Jr., 49, was booked into the Vigo County Jail a short time later. He is charged with charged with: burglary while armed with a deadly weapon; burglary of a dwelling; criminal recklessness; and intimidation using a deadly weapon. Terre Haute Police Department officers were dispatched to the residence located in the area of Blakely and Wabash Avenues on a call for shots fired, just before 6 a.m. The suspect reportedly had fled the scene prior to police arrival and was located later on. According to the report, officers allege the victim’s father had fired multiple rounds into the victim’s home. They say shots were fired through an entry door and a bedroom window of the residence. M ultiple shots were also allegedly fired into a parked vehicle o n the victim’s property. Police say the suspect was an...
Read more

One dead, one hospitalized after pickup truck crashes into tree in northern Vigo County

Image
                                             Vigo County Sheriff's Office photo UPDATE from the Vigo County Sheriff's Office 8/25/22 - The Vigo County Sheriff‘s Office released the name of the passenger, Kevin Mills, who was in the Rio Grande Ave accident on 08-19-2022. Mills died the afternoon of 08-24-2022. DNA testing is underway for identification of the deceased driver in this vehicle accident. ------ By Lucy Perry  Indiana Central News One person is dead and another is in serious condition following a single-vehicle crash in northern Vigo County Friday afternoon. The fatal crash remains under investigation at this time. Meanwhile, the Vigo County Sheriff's Office has not released the victims' names. Sheriff John Plasse explained that the red pickup truck had crashed into a tree and then caught fire, with the occupants trapped inside. Emergency crews respond...
Read more