Lundy Sentenced To 25 Yrs. In Prison, 5 Yrs. Of Probation
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jen [email protected]
Colt Lundy, 15, was dressed in a gray and white striped jail jumpsuit as he sat in the courtroom Monday afternoon waiting to learn his fate.
Judge Reed accepted Lundy's plea agreement, which allowed him to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, a Class A felony, and dismissed two other felony counts of murder and aiding, assisting or inducing murder.
After announcing that he accepted the plea agreement, Judge Reed sentenced Lundy to 30 years in prison with the final five years suspended for probation. He said he would
"strongly recommend" to the Indiana Department of Corrections that Lundy be placed in the youth offender program until he reaches the age of 18.
In making his decision, Judge Reed said he tried "to eliminate the passions and apply some reason" to the case.
Judge Reed said he read the pre-sentence investigation and read all the 31 letters sent to him regarding the case.
Before the sentence was announced, Lundy read a statement he had prepared for the hearing.
"I've had about five months to just think about what I did an, um, just life in general and I know I have to deal with the consequences," Lundy said. "What I did was unacceptable. ... I want to show people I'm not who they think. I am a good person and I made a really bad choice."
Lundy said he wanted to "try to make things right between my family and friends and show I am a good person and I want to help others. I hope I am given the chance to prove that I can do good things in my life."
After Lundy and his attorney, David Kolbe, addressed the court, Kosciusko County Prosecutor Steve Hearn spoke on the state's behalf.
"(Colt Lundy) not only killed his stepfather, he opened the doors of the house to showcase his actions to his friends. ... There has been a lot of talk about how this case ruined Colt's life. Not much has been said about the fact that Phillip Danner had a daughter, he had a son and they have children."
Hearn added Lundy understood the consequences of his actions, and "he is already planning what to do to get out (of prison) earlier."[[In-content Ad]]On Sept. 1, Lundy appeared in court and submitted a potential plea agreement in which he agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, a Class A felony. In return, one count of murder and one count of aiding, assisting or inducing murder would be dropped.
Lundy admitted that he and 12-year-old Paul Gingerich murdered Lundy's stepfather, Phil Danner, on April 20.
At the Sept. 1 hearing, Hearn asked Lundy if he and Paul Gingerich made a plan and then killed his stepfather, and Lundy replied, "Yes."
Gingerich still faces charges in the case, and his trial is slated to begin in February. Gingerich's attorneys were present in the courtroom during Monday's sentencing.
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Colt Lundy, 15, was dressed in a gray and white striped jail jumpsuit as he sat in the courtroom Monday afternoon waiting to learn his fate.
Judge Reed accepted Lundy's plea agreement, which allowed him to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, a Class A felony, and dismissed two other felony counts of murder and aiding, assisting or inducing murder.
After announcing that he accepted the plea agreement, Judge Reed sentenced Lundy to 30 years in prison with the final five years suspended for probation. He said he would
"strongly recommend" to the Indiana Department of Corrections that Lundy be placed in the youth offender program until he reaches the age of 18.
In making his decision, Judge Reed said he tried "to eliminate the passions and apply some reason" to the case.
Judge Reed said he read the pre-sentence investigation and read all the 31 letters sent to him regarding the case.
Before the sentence was announced, Lundy read a statement he had prepared for the hearing.
"I've had about five months to just think about what I did an, um, just life in general and I know I have to deal with the consequences," Lundy said. "What I did was unacceptable. ... I want to show people I'm not who they think. I am a good person and I made a really bad choice."
Lundy said he wanted to "try to make things right between my family and friends and show I am a good person and I want to help others. I hope I am given the chance to prove that I can do good things in my life."
After Lundy and his attorney, David Kolbe, addressed the court, Kosciusko County Prosecutor Steve Hearn spoke on the state's behalf.
"(Colt Lundy) not only killed his stepfather, he opened the doors of the house to showcase his actions to his friends. ... There has been a lot of talk about how this case ruined Colt's life. Not much has been said about the fact that Phillip Danner had a daughter, he had a son and they have children."
Hearn added Lundy understood the consequences of his actions, and "he is already planning what to do to get out (of prison) earlier."[[In-content Ad]]On Sept. 1, Lundy appeared in court and submitted a potential plea agreement in which he agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, a Class A felony. In return, one count of murder and one count of aiding, assisting or inducing murder would be dropped.
Lundy admitted that he and 12-year-old Paul Gingerich murdered Lundy's stepfather, Phil Danner, on April 20.
At the Sept. 1 hearing, Hearn asked Lundy if he and Paul Gingerich made a plan and then killed his stepfather, and Lundy replied, "Yes."
Gingerich still faces charges in the case, and his trial is slated to begin in February. Gingerich's attorneys were present in the courtroom during Monday's sentencing.
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