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GREENFIELD, Ind. - A homeless man was arrested and jailed by a Greenfield police officer earlier this month after he allegedly violated a new city ordinance that bans sleeping or camping on public property.

According to charging documents, Brandon Brooks, 45, was approached by a Greenfield officer on Easter Sunday while sitting on a bench at the plaza next to the Hancock County Courthouse. The officer said Brooks had been trespassed three days earlier under city ordinance 95.02 and was therefore violating that trespass warning.

Brooks was arrested and faces a misdemeanor charge of criminal trespassing.

"I think there's a certain element of snootiness and wants those people to go away," said Greenfield resident Lyn O'Neal.

Brooks' arrest has caused somewhat of an uproar among some residents, like O'Neal, who believe the ordinance criminalizes and targets the homeless. The arrest was also less than two weeks after the ordinance was passed.

"We've had homeless people for years," O'Neal said. "Every community has homeless people, and where are they supposed to go?" O'Neal said. "I think what the council thought was 'We don't care, they can leave town.'"

Greenfield councilman Anthony Scott argued there was an immediate public safety and public health concern with what was happening in the city's downtown area. Scott said tents were being pitched on the plaza next to the courthouse.

"It became an immediate concern once we found out we had no ordinance on the books that allowed the police to do any kind of enforcement," Scott said. "It was an immediate issue that was happening, and the police had no legal way to combat it."

Scott said some people were using the restroom in the entryways of businesses and that residents were being accosted by the homeless.

Aside from the issues with the ordinance itself, several people who spoke with FOX59/CBS4 said they took issue with how the council passed it.

During their April 9 meeting, the council suspended the rules and conducted the ordinance's first, second and third reading -- passing the ordinance with unanimous support. There was no discussion and no public input.

"It was a concern that was immediate," Scott said. "Public safety is a primary to what we do and there was an immediate need to kind of deal with the situation at hand."

But O'Neal and others believe the council never wanted public input to begin with.

"If this was some kind of an emergency that would justify waving second and third readings, well then why wouldn't you tell the citizens? 'My gosh, citizens. We've got an emergency, we've got to do something,'" O'Neal said sarcastically. "They didn't do that."

O'Neal said she hopes to see the ordinance repealed and for the council to address the root issue of homelessness. Scott said the ordinance was never intended to fix the homeless situation, and he doesn't believe the council is equipped to do that.

Brooks was bonded out of jail and will be back in court in June.

Scott was the only city council member to respond to FOX59/CBS4's request for comment.

An assistant to Mayor Guy Titus said he was out of the office and unable to comment.

You can read the full ordinance here:

ordinance-no.-2025-16-camping-nuisanceDownload

via: https://fox59.com/news/greenfield-cop-arrests-homeless-man-after-city-bans-sleeping-on-public-property

CARMEL, Ind. - The former chair of the Carmel Christkindlmarkt Inc. board has filed a defamation lawsuit against Mayor Sue Finkam and the City of Carmel.

The complaint, which was officially submitted to Hamilton County Superior Court 2 on Tuesday, alleges that Finkam and other City officials tainted Susan S. McDermott's reputation while she was chair of the CCI board.

In the lawsuit, McDermott's legal team claims Finkam and company "embarked on a systematic effort to willfully, wantonly, recklessly, maliciously and/or intentionally make false and defamatory statements regarding McDermott's professional reputation in an attempt to justify Finkam's own actions with respect to CCI."

McDermott's attorneys have indicated that, during an Oct. 7 Carmel City Council meeting, Finkam falsely claimed that McDermott withheld CCI financial information from the City of Carmel. Per the complaint, Finkam also claimed McDermott withheld CCI financial information from the City of Carmel during an Oct. 21 council meeting.

According to McDermott's team, after the aforementioned meetings, Finkam "proceeded to further defame McDermott and smear her professional reputation by posting the video of her comments on Finkam's personal and Carmel social media accounts and on Carmel's 'Fast Friday E-Newsletter.'"

Per the complaint, Finkam also accused McDermott of financial misconduct during interviews with numerous media outlets, including FOX59/CBS4.

The lawsuit indicates that Finkam's statements were false or defamatory because McDermott provided all of the documentation the City requested. According to the complaint, Finkam and City submitted a request for the documentation on July 3. McDermott claims she then submitted the requested paperwork on July 8.

At the time, Finkam and the City were requesting the documentation because they wanted to re-evaluate the city's relationships with nonprofit organizations like Carmel Christkindlmarkt.

Previous reporting indicates Finkam has said the City of Carmel spent approximately $8.3 million on Christkindlmarkt between 2017-23. In October, Finkam reported that she was hoping to help the City recoup the $1.5 million it was expected to spend on Christkindlmarkt in 2024.

Before Finkam was elected Mayor in November 2023, the City had not previously tried to recoup the money it was spending on Christkindlmarkt. In an October interview with FOX59/CBS4, however, Finkam said she thought the money could be better-spent elsewhere.

"The City has a lot of different pressing needs, especially in this climate right now where money is tight, property taxes are higher, expenses are higher, we want to put that to police, fire and infrastructure, whenever possible without harming the market," Finkam said in October.

Finkam ultimately ended up establishing an advisory board to evaluate the City's relationship with Christkindlmarkt and other nonprofits. The founding of the board is ultimately what led tensions between McDermott and Finkam to reach an untenable level.

According to the lawsuit, on Sept. 11, Finkam had asked CCI to send the City a new operating agreement by Sept. 30.

On Sept. 17, the CCI board received a proposed operating agreement from the City. Per the complaint, the City's proposed agreement contained a provision that indicated Carmel "owned" the Christkindlmarkt festival and the intellectual property of CCI.

According to the lawsuit, McDermott and other CCI officials requested a meeting with Finkam on Sept. 24 to discuss the City's proposed agreement. McDermott claims that, during the meeting, the City agreed to re-evaluate its proposal and future financial commitment to Christkindlmarkt in the first quarter of 2025.

On Sept. 25, however, Finkam and the City advised CCI that they were not willing to proceed in any fashion unless CCI accepted all essential points in the City's proposed agreement. Among the essential provisions, according to the complaint, was that the City of Carmel could claim ownership of the Christkindlmarkt festival.

McDermott and other members of the CCI board pushed back against the ownership provision because they worried it could impact CCI's status as a nonprofit with the IRS. CCI sent a compromise to the City on Sept. 30.

On Oct. 3, Finkam called a meeting with CCI. Per the complaint, the purpose of the meeting was to discuss an operating agreement between the City of Carmel and CCI.

In the lawsuit, McDermott called the meeting "a ruse created by Finkam." According to the complaint, "the true purpose of the October 3, 2024, meeting was to terminate two of CCI's board members and replace them with individuals handpicked by Finkam who would sign an operating agreement containing all of the terms Finkam had demanded."

McDermott's attorneys allege that Finkam was not actually present at the meeting. After City officials proceeded with the planned terminations, a press release about the staffing issues was released.

FOX59/CBS4 reported on the meetings and terminations on Oct. 7. The complaint indicates the City offered to allow McDermott to remain on the CCI board. Per the lawsuit, Finkam was the one who appointed McDermott to the CCI board in January 2024.

At the time, Finkam brought McDermott on for her financial and nonprofit expertise, according to the complaint.

McDermott ultimately declined the City's offer to remain on the board because she was concerned Finkam and company intended to force the newly reconstructed CCI board to sign an agreement that allowed the City to claim ownership of the Christkindlmarkt festival.

At the end of the lawsuit, McDemott and her attorneys requested Finkam and the City "be found liable to her for the damage to her professional reputation and that judgment be entered herin against Finkam and Carmel and in favor of McDermott in an amount determined to compenstate McDermott for her damage."

Maria Adele Rosenfeld - the President and CEO of CCI - resigned the same day McDermott filed her lawsuit. FOX59/CBS4 published a report on McDermott's resignation early Tuesday evening.

It is currently unknown if the City of Carmel and CCI reached a new agreement that designates the City as the owner of the festival. It is also unclear if the City recouped the money it spent to set up and help operate Christkindlmarkt in 2024.

Neither CCI nor the City of Carmel have indicated if the nonprofit has been able to structure Christkindlmarkt in a way that will allow it be operated in a capacity that is financially independent from the City.

FOX59/CBS4 reached out to the City of Carmel for a statement on the lawsuit. The City provided the following statement from Samantha Karn, Corporation Counsel:

"Due to pending litigation, we will not comment at this time."


via: https://fox59.com/news/former-chair-of-carmel-christkindlmarkt-inc-board-files-defamation-lawsuit-against-mayor-sue-finkam

MORGAN COUNTY, Ind. -- The mother of a 1-year-old girl whose body was found in a dresser inside an abandoned home near Morgantown two years ago has taken a plea deal.

According to court documents obtained by FOX59/CBS4, Madison Marshall pleaded guilty on April 25 to Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death (Level 1 Felony) and Neglect of a Dependent (Level 6 Felony).


Madison Marshall

Roan Waters/ Arapahoe County Sheriff

Photo of Oaklee Snow released by IMPD

In exchange, the state has agreed to dismiss several other neglect charges that were pending against her and an additional charge of Assisting a Criminal who Committed Murder (Level 5 Felony).

The plea deal outlines how prosecutors are looking to have Marshall sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in the Indiana Department of Correction for her Neglect Resulting in Death charge. Her other charge would include a 2-year sentence that would run at the same time as the first sentence, meaning she will not receive any additional time in prison.

Under the terms of the plea deal, Marshall will testify against Roan Waters, who police allege was directly responsible for the death of Oaklee Snow after abducting her and her baby brother from her biological father's home in Oklahoma on Jan. 19, 2023. Waters faces the following preliminary charges:

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 119-118 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Tuesday night to advance to the next round of the playoffs.

The Pacers beat the Bucks thanks to a dominant performance by Myles Turner, who led the team with 21 points and nine rebounds. All-Star Point Guard Tyrese Haliburton also posted 24 points, nine assists and three steals.

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the Bucks in what was a dominant first half. The team was without All-Star Guard Damian Lillard after he sustained a season-ending injury in Game 4. Antetokounmpo ended the contest with a triple-double: 30 points, 20 rebounds and 13 assists.

Shooting Guard Gary Trent Jr. led the Bucks in total points scored with 33 points. He also recorded five rebounds and five steals.

The Pacers trailed 47 to 41 at halftime as the Bucks looked to carry their bright start into the final two quarters to keep their playoff hopes alive. The game came down to a pivotal fourth quarter after the Pacers managed to level the game 75 to 75 at the end of the third quarter.

The sides continued exchanging leads throughout the fourth quarter. With less than a minute left, Milwaukee had a four-point lead. The Pacers managed to claw their way back into the game in the form of a Haliburton dunk to tie the game 103-103 and force overtime.

The Pacers managed to pull away in overtime, coming out 119-118 victors thanks to a clutch Haliburton play after he converted a layup with one second remaining.

Heading into tonight's Game 5, Indiana knew it needed a victory to close the first-round matchup against Milwaukee after storming to a 3-1 lead in the series. The Pacers will now prepare to face off against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round.


via: https://fox59.com/sports/pacers/indiana-pacers-defeat-milwaukee-bucks-119-118

MARION, Ind. -- Derick Morgan's family said the 56-year-old Marion man showed no signs of depression, suicidal thoughts or intoxication before he grabbed a large knife and started stabbing himself in the chest and slashing his throat Sunday afternoon.

Then Morgan walked out to his family's van parked outside their house at 36th and South Washington Streets and told his mother and common-law wife he loved them.

CARMEL, Ind. - The President and CEO of Carmel Christkindlmarkt - Maria Adele Rosenfeld- has resigned.

A press release sent by Carmel Christkindlmarkt Inc. on Tuesday confirmed that Rosenfeld submitted her resignation. Rosenfeld's resignation will go into effect on Wednesday.

"It is impossible to put into words how much the last eight years have meant to me," Rosenfeld wrote in a prepared statement included in the press release. "I am so honored to have served the Carmel community as the founding CEO of the Carmel Christkindlmarkt. I have worked alongside such talented coworkers, partners, sponsors, entertainers, vendors and volunteers. Our collective dedication to upholding the highest standards of cultural authenticity and event management resulted in a truly special, best-in-class event."

Per CCI's release, Rosenfeld helped Carmel Christkindlmarkt earn national recognition during her tenure as the organization's President and CEO. While Rosenfeld headed CCI, Carmel Christkindlmarkt was spotlighted by USA Today, Indy's Best Things Competition, the Indiana Tourism Association, Current in Carmel and National Geographic.

In 2024 alone, more than 10,000 people visited Carmel Christkindlmarkt daily. The event generated $9.6 million in sales and created $24.3 million in economic impact for Hamilton County.

"We are extremely grateful for Maria's service," Maddie Augustus, chair of the CCI Board, said via release. "From the very first market in 2017, she has been instrumental in growing our beloved event into the renowned holiday destination it is today. She is leaving a great mark on the annual Market, our organization and Carmel as a whole. We wish her the best in the next steps of her journey."

Rosenfeld's resignation comes as tensions between CCI and the City of Carmel continue to rise.

In October, Mayor Sue Finkam announced that City of Carmel was forming an advisory board to evaluate the City's relationships with nonprofit organizations like Christkindlmarkt.

In the past, the City of Carmel had not tried to recoup all the costs it incurred by assisting with the setup and operation of Christkindlmarkt. Soon after she was elected in November 2023, Finkam sought to change the status quo.

Ahead of Christkindlmarkt 2024, Finkam indicated that she aimed to help the City of Carmel recoup the $1.5 million it was projected to spend on the holiday market. Finkam also reported that the City of Carmel had spent $8.3 million on Christkindlmarkt since 2017, and she intimated that the money may be better spent elsewhere.

"The city has a lot of different pressing needs, especially in this climate right now where money is tight, property taxes are higher, expenses are higher, we want to put that to police, fire and infrastructure, whenever possible without harming the market," Finkam said in October.

FOX59/CBS4 first reported that Finkam was forming the advisory board on Oct. 3. A report FOX59/CBS4 published on Oct. 7 indicated three members of CCI's own board were either forced to leave or resigned.

Some of CCI's board members were offered positions of Finkam's advisory board. Former CCI board member Brenda Myers told FOX59/CBS4 she declined to join the mayor's board.

"We went to (a) meeting thinking we would be able to hammer out some of the issues and instead were told that we were resigned," Myers said in an interview with FOX59/CBS4. "We were offered positions on the advisory council, but I refused."

Myers also told FOX59/CBS4 that, before Finkam's advisory board was formed, CCI's board was working to make the market financially independent from the City to comply with a request from the mayor.

It is unclear if the City of Carmel was able to recoup the costs it incurred from last year's Christkindlmarkt as Finkam hoped. The exact role the City will play in future iterations of Christkindlmarkt is also currently unknown.

As for Rosenfeld's resignation, CCI announced Tuesday that its board has begun a search to find a new President and CEO of CCI.

"CCI remains committed to its mission to provide an authentic and immersive cultural experience that cultivates community pride, creates inspiring gathering spaces, and elevates the City of Carmel regionally, nationally and internationally," CCI officials wrote in their release.

More information on CCI is available here.

As of this article's publication, no additional information on Rosenfeld's departure had been made available.


via: https://fox59.com/news/ceo-of-carmel-christkindlmarkt-resigns-as-event-continues-to-face-scrutiny-from-city

WESTFIELD, Ind. - Authorities have identified the remains of a 10th victim found on the property of a suspected Indiana serial killer who lived in Westfield.

Hamilton County Coroner Jeff Jellison announced Tuesday that investigators have identified human remains found in 1996 on Fox Hollow Farm, the former home of Herbert Baumeister.

The name of the victim: Daniel Thomas Halloran. The coroner said Halloran was born in 1972, but that his death date is unknown.

Daniel Halloran

The identification of Halloran was possible through "advanced forensic testing" and genetic genealogy conducted by Othram, Inc. in an attempt to identify nearly 10,000 remains recovered from Baumeister's property in the 1990s.

Halloran is the 10th victim to have been identified, according to Jellison.

"This is a significant development in our ongoing efforts to provide answers to the families of those who went missing," Jellison said. "We are grateful for the expertise of Othram and the advances in forensic science that made this possible.

The investigation into Baumeister, considered one of Indiana's most notorious serial killers, began nearly 30 years ago.

Police believe he lured gay men to his Westfield home in the mid-80s through the mid-90s before killing them and disposing of their bodies in the back of his property.

Herb Baumeister

It wasn't until 1996 that Baumeister was found out. Shortly after the first of the 10,000 bone fragments were found on his property and an investigation was opened, Baumeister shot himself in Canada.

Despite it being over 20 years since Baumeister's death, Jellison and the County Coroner's Office are continuing the work to identify his victims.

In recent years, the team has reinvigorated efforts to bring closure to victims' families and has already had success.

In October of 2023, the remains of suspected Baumeister victim Allen Livingston were identified by the coroner. Livingston went missing in Indianapolis in 1993, but his family never stopped looking for answers and helped renew interest in the case.

The 10,000 remains recovered from the Baumeister property are stored in the University of Indianapolis' archaeology department and are in the process of DNA testing at Indiana State Police labs.

Scientists are continuing to test the recovered remains with DNA provided by the family of possible victims as well as nationwide databases.

Anyone who suspects their loved ones may have been one of Baumeister's victims can contact the Hamilton County Coroner's Office at (317) 770-4415 to provide a DNA sample for testing.


via: https://fox59.com/news/indynews/another-victim-of-indiana-serial-killer-herb-baumeister-identified-bringing-total-to-10

MOORESVILLE, Ind, -- Dramatic body camera footage shows the moment a Mooresville police officer was clipped by a fleeing suspect during a car chase over the weekend.

The suspect was being chased by sheriff's deputies from Morgan County as they drove north on State Road 67 around 6:47 p.m. Saturday.

At the intersection of Sunset Lane, the pursuit almost turned tragic, with a Mooresville police officer just narrowly avoiding being run over.

Video shows Officer Chase Pitcock preparing to pull stop sticks to catch a speeding black Dodge Challenger. The Challenger made a sudden turn onto Sunset Lane to avoid the tire deflation device.

Pitcock then dove for safety and was clipped by the fleeing car, which then sped away.

"It's very chilling to see that. Everybody I've showed is like, that could have been really bad," said Mooresville Police Chief Kerry Buckner.

Buckner said his officer suffered a broken thumb and leg injuries, but is extremely lucky he wasn't more seriously hurt during the chase. The pursuit was also captured on dash cameras, which reached speeds of up to 130 miles per hour.

"Officer Pitcock was doing everything right, sometimes just bad things happen. Luckily he was fast enough to get out of the way," said Buckner.

The pursuit along State Road 67 started when the suspect was involved in an illegal street takeover and pursuit in Monroe County before being spotted and chased again in Morgan County.

Police pursuits, of course, are inherently risky.

In June 2023, Indiana State Trooper Aaron Smith was killed while deploying stop sticks during a chase near I-70 and Ronald Reagan Parkway.

"Pursuits by nature are very dangerous," said Buckner. "The longer you let them go, the more chance you have of something bad happening."

In this case, the black Challenger had fake paper plates and the pursuit was terminated for safety reasons near Camby. Still, Mooresville police hope the driver can be tracked down and arrested.

After the second chase ended, Morgan County Sheriff's deputies gave the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the Hendricks County Sheriff's Office a description of the vehicle.

"Obviously we need help from the public anytime something like this happens," said Buckner.  "Hopefully we can identify them so they can be held accountable for their actions."

Because no arrests have been made, anyone with information on the suspect is asked to contact other the Morgan County Sheriff's Office or the Mooresville Police Department at (765) 342-5544 or (317) 831-3434, respectively.


via: https://fox59.com/news/indycrime/body-camera-footage-shows-mooresville-officer-hit-by-car-during-police-chase

A Severe Thunderstorm watch has been issued for portions of Central Indiana until 9pm. A line of storms is pushing through Central Illinois and is continuing to push east. These storms could produce damaging winds and large hail. An isolated tornado can't be ruled out.



Storms could start to enter the viewing area around 4 pm and will stick around through the evening hours.





via: https://fox59.com/weather/severe-thunderstorm-watch-issued-for-portions-of-central-indiana-2

ANDERSON, Ind. - A 13-year-old boy pleaded guilty to murder and armed robbery with no plea deal on Tuesday, according to the Madison County Prosecutor.

Joseph Henry Vannote Jr., pleaded guilty without a plea agreement to the following: