An Illinois man pleaded guilty Tuesday in Kosciusko Circuit Court to murdering his roommate in 2017.
Derrick Lavelle Wandrick, 36, of Harvey, Ill., appeared in front of Circuit Judge Mike Reed and pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement, which states his sentence is not to exceed 55 years executed.
Reed said the murder conviction comes with 45 to 65 years in prison, with the advisory sentence being 55 years. While preparing to affirm Wandrick’s oath and guilty plea Tuesday, Wandrick stopped proceedings and asked his attorney, Jay Rigdon, if “they have evidence against me.” When Rigdon told Wandrick the state does have evidence against him, Wandrick agreed to plead guilty.
Reed will consider the plea agreement at 10:15 a.m. Dec. 26.
On Oct. 23, 2017, Wandrick stabbed his roommate, David Lamont Strowder Jr., more than 60 times and left him for dead in the area of 1006 W. CR 300N. Kosciusko County Sheriff’s deputies found Strowder lying face down in the grass, court papers state. Strowder died at Kosciusko Community Hospital from 63 stab wounds.
Detectives were able to track down Wandrick in Elkhart and match shoe tread marks to Wandrick’s shoes and an imprint found at the crime scene. The 6- to 8-inch knife police believe was used was found under the shoe print at the scene, according to police reports.
According to court records, Wandrick had been staying with Strowder and Strowder’s sister in an Elkhart home for a few weeks. Wandrick and Strowder traveled to Warsaw in Strowder’s Jeep Oct. 23, 2017, and inside the jeep is where police believe the murder took place. Police later located the Jeep in Elkhart with an apparent knife cut in the passenger seat and blood on the center console. Witnesses told police at the time that they saw Wandrick cleaning the Jeep with bleach water. Strowder’s family also provided police with two shirts of Wandrick’s covered in blood and Wandrick’s shoes that matched the print at the scene.
When investigators interviewed Wandrick, he was in possession of Strowder’s cellphone.
Kosciusko County Coroner Tony Ciriello said at the time, the murder was one of the most violent crimes he’s seen. Lead detective on the case, KCSO Lt. Todd Sautter, also said at the time that Strowder’s family was instrumental in apprehending Wandrick.
