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Jeremiah Roberts v. State of Indiana (mem. dec.)
Citation: Not availableDocket: 49A05-1702-CR-289
Court: Indiana Court of Appeals; October 31, 2017; Indiana; State Appellate Court
Original Court Document: View Document
Jeremiah Roberts was convicted of murder by a jury in Indiana. He appealed, arguing that the evidence was insufficient to establish his identity as the perpetrator beyond a reasonable doubt. The Court of Appeals reviewed the case and found the evidence sufficient to affirm the conviction. In January 2014, Roberts, alongside Derek Romano, was permitted to stay at a dog rescue shelter in Indianapolis due to their homelessness. On January 18, Roberts orchestrated a robbery of pizza delivery driver John Sullivan. Upon Sullivan's arrival, Roberts attacked him with a hammer, bound him with duct tape, and concealed his body in the basement after attempting to clean the scene. The next day, shelter owner Jennifer Fodera discovered blood and drag marks leading to Sullivan's body, which was taped and covered in plastic. Following their abandonment of Sullivan's car in Wyoming, Roberts and Romano were arrested, with Sullivan's gun found in Roberts' backpack. Initially denying involvement, Roberts later admitted to the robbery but claimed he did not kill Sullivan, suggesting he might have fallen down the stairs. Roberts was charged with robbery and murder, with trial testimony indicating Sullivan died from blunt force trauma consistent with hammer injuries. Blood evidence confirmed Sullivan's presence at the shelter, supporting the prosecution's case. Roberts’ DNA was found on a hammer and duct tape in the crime scene, as well as his handprint on a bleach bottle. He testified that Romano initiated the robbery and fought with Sullivan over a gun, after which they restrained Sullivan and left him in the basement while they took his car. Roberts claimed he waited in the car while Romano retrieved his phone, and they later drove to Wyoming. The jury convicted Roberts of robbery and murder, which he now appeals, arguing there was insufficient evidence to identify him as the murderer. The court maintains that it will not reweigh evidence and only considers whether reasonable inferences support the verdict. Despite Roberts’ claims that mere presence and circumstantial evidence were inadequate for conviction, the court found ample circumstantial evidence linking him to the murder. This included blood and DNA evidence found at the scene, as well as details of Sullivan's death, which was ruled a homicide caused by blunt force trauma consistent with being struck by a hammer. The court concluded that the evidence was sufficient to support the conviction and affirmed the decision.