close
close

Knox County murder case under review | Vincennes PBS

The Indiana Court of Appeals is reviewing the murder conviction of Kevin Hatfield, an Oaktown man who was sentenced to prison in 2021 for the killing of his wife, Jasmine.

Hatfield was found guilty by a Knox County jury in 2023 and sentenced to 78 years in prison.

He is now challenging two aspects of his trial, including his admission of making a 911 call and the way his mental health issues were handled at sentencing.

The appeal was part of a special session held at Monrovia High School, where the justices heard oral arguments. A final decision will be made at a later date.

Regarding the appeal, Knox County District Attorney Dirk Carnahan issued the following statement on social media:

A Knox County man was being held on domestic violence charges. Through his attorney, he asked for a reduction in his bail. His wife, the victim of the domestic violence, testified on his behalf. The judge was not one of our Knox County judges and was only there as a substitute for the day.

Despite my objections and arguments, the judge reduced the bail and lifted the restraining order. A few days later, I was called to a crime scene where the woman had been brutally murdered. After a trial, the man and Judge Lee sentenced him to likely spend the rest of his life in prison. During the trial and preparations, I got to know the woman's family.

Today (Thursday, September 12), the Indiana Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments in the defendant's appeal. The hearing will be held in public at Monrovia High School. The Court of Appeals holds about 40 public oral arguments per year throughout the state. I am here to listen to the arguments and answer any questions anyone may have.

The cases that my Our time in my office does not end with a plea or a jury verdict. Nor does it end with the end of the appeals process. The people and families involved in these cases are rarely forgotten by the prosecutors and staff in my office.

You may also like...