Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
COLUMBIA CITY - William Walter was sentenced to 120 years in prison Tuesday for the murder of his estranged wife and aunt.
Walter, 28, pleaded guilty May 5 to the murders of Melissa Walter, 25, and his aunt by marriage, Tammy Walter, 33. The crime occurred Aug. 17, 1997, at William and Melissa's house on Goose Lake.
Walter was sentenced in Whitley County Circuit Court to two consecutive terms of 60 years each for the slayings. Judge Heuer listened to three hours of testimony at the sentencing hearing from psychologists, family members and friends.
Walter's attorney asked for a concurrent sentence of 55 years for the crimes, arguing that Walter had no previous record. Doctors testified that Walter was under stress and depressed when he committed the murders.
But Whitley County Prosecutor John Whiteleather Jr. said there was no justification for Walter's behavior.
Witnesses said that Walter waited for two hours for Melissa and Tammy to come home Aug. 17. Police testified at the hearing that Walter stabbed Tammy as she was sleeping then chased Melissa through the house. Melissa was also stabbed multiple times and carried to the bedroom.
Walter left the house and called 911 at a pay phone, claiming he had stabbed two people.
Police said that Walter then ran into the path of a pickup truck on Noble County Road 500S and was hit. He was airlifted to Parkview Hospital, Fort Wayne, for treatment of his injuries.
Melissa and Tammy both worked in Warsaw. Walter lived at Tammy's house when he was a senior in high school, family members said. Tammy was the mother of three young children.
