Posted on 05/20/2005 12:05:25 PM PDT by nuconvert
New Suspect Charged in Ind. Girl's Death
Friday, May 20, 2005
BROWNSTOWN, Ind. — Prosecutors on Friday dropped murder charges against a man who confessed to killing a 10-year-old girl and shifted blame to a man previously accused of molesting her around the time of her death.
DNA tests of semen found on Katie Collman's (search) body led to the new charges of murder and criminal confinement against Anthony Stockelman (search), 38, according to an affidavit.
The fourth-grader was last seen alive Jan. 25 while walking home from a nearby store in the southern Indiana town of Crothersville. Her body was found five days later in a creek about 15 miles away.
Jackson County Prosecutor Stephen Pierson said investigators had discredited the confession by Charles Hickman (search), 21, and all charges against him in the girl's death were dropped. Pierson said he was considering whether to charge him with false informing.
Hickman, who was arrested Feb. 2, had told authorities he was alone with Katie as she fell into the water and drowned after being abducted by others who wanted to scare her out of talking about a methamphetamine operation she had seen.
"It now appears that the alleged sighting of a meth lab by Katie was more false information," Pierson said. He said he didn't know why Hickman confessed.
Hickman's attorney, John Plummer III, also said he could not explain the confession but said his client now denies any involvement in the abduction and death.
"I don't think the science in the case lies," Plummer said. "I think the police have to follow what the facts are and not speculate as to why people say what they say sometimes."
Investigators were led to Stockelman by a cigarette butt found at the creek. He was arrested on the molestation
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Good grief.
Child Molesters should be executed by hanging in a public square.
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