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The Syracuse man accused of shooting his father pleaded guilty to murder this morning in Kosciusko Circuit Court.
When asked by Judge Rex Reed what he was pleading guilty to, Tracy K. Dietzen, 36, said, "I am pleading guilty to the murder of my father, James Dietzen."
Dietzen told the court that the murder occurred at his father's house, a lake cottage on Lake Wawasee, on Dec. 13, 1997.
Reed asked Dietzen if he "knowingly or intentionally" murdered his father. Dietzen paused only a moment before saying, "Yes, sir."
Dietzen answered the judge's questions with a clear, strong voice, looking straight at Reed.
Dietzen and his court-appointed attorney, Vern Landis, agreed to a plea agreement offered by the state of Indiana. The court changed Dietzen's initial plea of not guilty of murder to guilty.
Reed tentatively scheduled Dietzen to be sentenced on May 22 at 8 a.m.
Kosciusko County Prosecutor David Kolbe asked Dietzen if he shot his father with a 9 mm rifle, and Dietzen answered, "Yes, sir." Dietzen also agreed that his father died as a result of the gunshot wounds.
According to the plea agreement, Dietzen faces 45-55 years in prison for the murder. The plea agreement also said that Dietzen pleads guilty to the murder but was mentally ill at the time of the crime.
Tracy's older brother Kyle said the family is concerned and hopes Tracy can get the help he needs.
Kyle said Tracy is the youngest of five children, three of whom live outside Indiana. Kyle said while Tracy lived with his father, Kyle lived the closest of the others, in Bluffton.
Kyle was the only family member at the hearing this morning when Tracy pleaded guilty. Kyle spoke with his brother softly before the hearing began, and later held back tears as Tracy admitted to shooting their father.
Kyle said the family is recovering from the loss of their father, and only one of the siblings is "bitter" about Tracy.
After the hearing, Kyle shook the hand of his youngest brother, and Tracy said, "Thanks, Kyle," as he was escorted back to jail.
"We're the victims here," Kyle said of his family's loss of their father. "He is a victim too," Kyle said of Tracy.
Kyle said he thinks Tracy knew he needed mental help, but the family never pressured him to get help.
Kyle said he hopes that the court will consider Tracy's best interests when sentencing him. Kyle said he would like to see Tracy in a place where he can get mental help and not be simply "warehoused" in a prison. "People don't even want to talk about mental illness," Kyle said.
Two psychiatrists examined Tracy under court order and found he was found competent to stand trial. The two doctors also said he was competent to understand the court proceedings and assist in preparing his defense.
Tracy was arrested Dec. 16 after he filed a missing person report on his father with the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department. The sheriff's department received a report of an abandoned vehicle that was registered to James. When deputies interviewed Tracy at the home, they reportedly saw a fresh stain on a carpet that appeared to be recently scrubbed. They also reportedly found the oiled rifle and a washing machine containing freshly-washed shoes, gloves and cloths with reddish-colored stains.
Tracy allegedly admitted to the deputies that he shot James, 75, three times after James wanted his son to accompany him to Florida. Tracy then allegedly buried his father's body in a crawl space underneath their home on North Grand Boulevard.
