Bandy Found Guilty Of Murdering Laurel Jean Mitchell
October 8, 2024 at 9:00 p.m.
ALBION — A Goshen man has been found guilty of murdering North Webster teenager Laurel Jean Mitchell, a case that has remained cold since 1975.
Fred Bandy Jr., 69, Goshen, was found guilty of first degree murder by Noble Circuit Court Judge Michael Kramer on Tuesday.
A bench trial in Bandy's case took place in Noble County on Monday.
Bandy's sentencing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Oct. 22 in Noble Circuit Court.
Bandy was present for the verdict and was in a wheelchair. Multiple family, friends and supporters of Mitchell's family, including witnesses who testified at the bench trial, attended the verdict reading.
On Aug. 6, 1975, Mitchell, 17, was dropped off at Epworth Forest Church Camp to work her shift at a snack bar. Around 10 p.m. that night, after her shift had ended, she was seen walking in Epworth Forest to meet her friends at Adventureland Amusement Park on the north side of North Webster. This was the last time Mitchell was seen alive.
Around 4:16 a.m. Aug. 7, 1975, a missing person report with the Indiana State Police was filed for Mitchell. At 10:30 a.m. that same day, two fishermen discovered Mitchell's body in the Elkhart River.
An autopsy was performed on Mitchell, which revealed she had made "a violent struggle to survive." Her cause of death was ruled to be drowning.
All of the clothing and belongings found on Mitchell's body at the time of her death were preserved for testing.
Recent testing of these items led authorities to Bandy and John W. Lehman, 68, Auburn, as well as years of testimony from those who know the men.
Mitchell's clothing was resubmitted for DNA testing in 2019. In February 2020, a Certificate of Analysis was generated by the ISP Laboratory Division that showed a male DNA profile was developed from the clothing.
On Dec. 5, 2022, a voluntary DNA sample was collected from Bandy and submitted to the ISP Laboratory Division.
Results were received by authorities on Jan. 13, 2023, in a Certificate of Analysis that revealed Bandy was 13 billion times more likely to be the contributor of the DNA found in Mitchell's clothing than any other unknown person.
Lehman has pled guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and is scheduled for a status hearing and possible sentencing hearing at 9 a.m. Friday in Noble Circuit Court.
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ALBION — A Goshen man has been found guilty of murdering North Webster teenager Laurel Jean Mitchell, a case that has remained cold since 1975.
Fred Bandy Jr., 69, Goshen, was found guilty of first degree murder by Noble Circuit Court Judge Michael Kramer on Tuesday.
A bench trial in Bandy's case took place in Noble County on Monday.
Bandy's sentencing is scheduled for 1 p.m. Oct. 22 in Noble Circuit Court.
Bandy was present for the verdict and was in a wheelchair. Multiple family, friends and supporters of Mitchell's family, including witnesses who testified at the bench trial, attended the verdict reading.
On Aug. 6, 1975, Mitchell, 17, was dropped off at Epworth Forest Church Camp to work her shift at a snack bar. Around 10 p.m. that night, after her shift had ended, she was seen walking in Epworth Forest to meet her friends at Adventureland Amusement Park on the north side of North Webster. This was the last time Mitchell was seen alive.
Around 4:16 a.m. Aug. 7, 1975, a missing person report with the Indiana State Police was filed for Mitchell. At 10:30 a.m. that same day, two fishermen discovered Mitchell's body in the Elkhart River.
An autopsy was performed on Mitchell, which revealed she had made "a violent struggle to survive." Her cause of death was ruled to be drowning.
All of the clothing and belongings found on Mitchell's body at the time of her death were preserved for testing.
Recent testing of these items led authorities to Bandy and John W. Lehman, 68, Auburn, as well as years of testimony from those who know the men.
Mitchell's clothing was resubmitted for DNA testing in 2019. In February 2020, a Certificate of Analysis was generated by the ISP Laboratory Division that showed a male DNA profile was developed from the clothing.
On Dec. 5, 2022, a voluntary DNA sample was collected from Bandy and submitted to the ISP Laboratory Division.
Results were received by authorities on Jan. 13, 2023, in a Certificate of Analysis that revealed Bandy was 13 billion times more likely to be the contributor of the DNA found in Mitchell's clothing than any other unknown person.
Lehman has pled guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and is scheduled for a status hearing and possible sentencing hearing at 9 a.m. Friday in Noble Circuit Court.