SULLIVAN, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – A packed crowd in a quiet and anxious Sullivan County courtroom listened as a judge read guilty verdicts against William Ray Grimes shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.
Grimes was charged with murdering 85-year-old retired farmer Lowell Badger in December 2012 and burglarizing his rural Sullivan County home.
The jury of seven men and five women deliberated for roughly 2 hours before finding Grimes guilty of murder, burglary, and conspiracy to commit burglary. The jury also found Grimes guilty of an enhanced charge of using a gun to commit the murder. That means he’ll get additional time on what’s already expected to be a lengthy prison sentence.
After the verdict was read, Badger’s daughter, Linda Sturgeon, began to cry. It’s been a long 12 1/2 years for the close-knit Badger family. His children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and others filled a good part of the courtroom daily during the eight-day trial.
The conviction has also been a long time coming for investigators. It took more than a decade for Indiana State Police, with the help of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department, to put the pieces of this case together. That’s because there was no DNA evidence or fingerprints linking anyone to the crime, and the murder weapon was never found.
In the end, it was witness testimony that played a big role at the trial. Witnesses, including Grimes’ former jailmates, family, and friends, testified that at various times over the years, Grimes told them he had committed the murder. Testimony revealed Grimes went to Badger’s house to rob it and did not expect Badger to be home.
Grimes was interviewed by the Indiana State Police 16 times.
Grimes will be sentenced on June 13 at 1 p.m.
Two other men are charged in this case. William Grimes’ brother, Arthur Grimes, awaits trial, and so does Richard Taft, who testified against William Grimes for a reduced sentence.
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