Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Barney Jose Chamorro

Release: Immediate
January 17, 2012


Lebanon, Boone County, Indiana – Prosecuting Attorney Todd J. Meyer announced today that his office filed a proposed plea agreement in the murder case pending against Barney Jose Chamorro. Within the plea agreement the Defendant agrees to plead guilty to the three counts of murder in exchange for the State dismissing its death penalty request and the parties will argue sentencing to the judge who will have the option of sentencing the Defendant to a term of years or to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The maximum sentence the judge could impose in sentencing the Defendant to a term of years is 195 years. Prosecutor Meyer stated he will ask the Court to sentence the Defendant to three consecutive sentences of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole and added: “I will have the ability to explain the reasoning behind the State’s sentencing request for this particular Defendant at the time of the sentencing hearing and while I would like to go into that now, such a statement from me at this point in the proceedings would be inappropriate.”

A change of plea hearing is scheduled to take place tomorrow (January 18, 2012) at 3PM in Boone Superior Court II. The sentencing hearing is not expected to occur until sometime this spring.

The information filed in this case is an allegation only, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at trial or by guilty plea.

News Media: Please contact Office Manager, Megan McQuern (765) 482-6860 for further information.