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Two of the men involved in a December incident in which one of them had his finger partially bitten off had their initial hearing in Kosciusko Superior Court I this morning.
Shawn Lee Jefferson, 40, of 1840 S. CR 500E, Pierceton, was arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail Monday for failure to appear, criminal confinement and on a warrant in a civil matter. His preliminary bond was set at $24,737.40.
Court documents list the counts against him as criminal confinement, a level 3 felony; battery while armed with a deadly weapon, a level 5 felony; and obstruction of justice, a level 6 felony.
On the criminal confinement charge, Jefferson could face up to 16 years in incarceration and a fine of up to $10,000. For the battery while armed charge, he faces up to six years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000. The obstruction charge could net him up to 2-1/2 years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.
Freddy Roberts, 40, of 5982 W. Kingfisher Drive, Mentone, was arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail on Jan. 11 for domestic battery with a deadly weapon. His bond was set at $20,250. He now faces the same charges as Jefferson and could face up to the same years in prison and same fines if convicted.
Judge David Cates entered a plea of “not guilty” on behalf of both men. While Jefferson requested an attorney be appointed to him, and was still in jail this morning, he did request local attorney Scott Lennox represent him as Lennox is his legal counsel in another matter.
Cates set Jefferson’s final pre-trial conference as 8:30 a.m. April 16. He appointed Lennox to Jefferson’s case and said Lennox may want to modify the court dates, but would leave that up to him.
Roberts was out on bail and told Cates he was trying to hire local attorney Jay Rigdon to represent him. When Cates asked if he had the financial means to do so, Roberts replied his parents were going to help him. Cates scheduled Roberts’ final pre-trial conference as 8:30 a.m. April 16.
The incident began Dec. 19, when Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department received a report that a motorist was following a gray vehicle when the trunk lid popped open and the motorist saw a man inside. The man was bleeding from the head and appeared to have suffered severe injuries. Officers searched the area but did not find the vehicle or the man.
Three hours later, the Noble County Sheriff’s Department received information of a man bleeding from the head on a road in Noble County near Indian Village. He was identified as Eric Crum, no age or address provided.
Crum reported he went to Jefferson’s residence to meet Heather Kay Hersha, 32, of 8013 E. CR 250S, Pierceton, who had invited him over. When Crum walked inside Jefferson’s residence, he was jumped by two men who hit him and tried to knock him out, according to court documents.
The blow did not render Crum unconscious and a fight ensued. During that fight, Crum bit off part of Jefferson’s finger.
Jefferson admitted there was a fight between “a guy named Eric” and he and the guy bit his finger off. He also told officers that earlier in the evening Freddy Roberts had been in the residence.
The two men who jumped Crum, Jefferson, Hersha and a man by the name of Frankie tied Crum up and held him captive at the Jefferson residence, court documents state.
Crum told officers that after he was tied up, Hersha and Jefferson put him in the trunk of his vehicle and drove him to an unknown location.
Hersha and Jefferson then drove to a wooded area and parked.
After Jefferson and Hersha left, Crum got out of the trunk and fled through the wooded area to a road.
Court documents do not explain why Crum was attacked.
Hersha was arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail on Jan. 8 on charges of criminal confinement, a level 3 felony; and aiding, inducing or causing battery while armed with a deadly weapon, a level 5 felony. Her bond was set at $20,000 surety with a $250 cash bond.
