Those of you that recall the Anthony Stockelman case, might also remember the name Charles James "Chuckie" Hickman. Hickman was the first person charged with the murder of 10 year old Katie Collman- after he confessed to her murder.
Confessing to a horrid crime such as Katie's murder, was always strange- given the fact taht DNA evidence pointed elsewhere. And many people questioned his motives for doing so. Other's questioned what crimes could have been hidden away in his closet that would prompt him into confessing.
Well, today we know.
I'm just going to say this folks, when a defense lawyer says : "It turns out to be a pretty decent deal except for the sex-offender registry,"- it's usually because it really is a SWEET deal, for the guilty party, although hardly ever a good deal for the public.
Personally, just for the pain that his confession caused, just for the added amount of time it took to find the real killer because of him- I'd have hoped that this loser would be sitting in a cell next to Stockelman for at least the next ten years. Anyone ever heard of "interfering with an investigation"?
Police eventually determined that Hickman's confession about the Crothersville, Ind., girl's murder wasn't true, and Anthony Stockelman was convicted in the case.
"There is no evidence of any connection between Hickman and Stockelman," then-prosecutor Stephen Pierson said when he dismissed the murder charge against Hickman.
Confessing to a horrid crime such as Katie's murder, was always strange- given the fact taht DNA evidence pointed elsewhere. And many people questioned his motives for doing so. Other's questioned what crimes could have been hidden away in his closet that would prompt him into confessing.
Well, today we know.
...in an interview after Katie disappeared, Hickman volunteered to investigators that, when he was 18, he had a 13-year-old girlfriend, according to FBI notes. Hickman was subsequently charged with child molestation as a Class B felony, carrying a penalty of six to 20 years in prison.
On May 10, Jackson County Circuit Judge William Vance approved a plea deal between Hickman and the county prosecutor under which the molestation charge was reduced to a Class C felony. Hickman also will be required to register as a sex offender after he is released, currently projected for Jan. 20.
I'm just going to say this folks, when a defense lawyer says : "It turns out to be a pretty decent deal except for the sex-offender registry,"- it's usually because it really is a SWEET deal, for the guilty party, although hardly ever a good deal for the public.
Personally, just for the pain that his confession caused, just for the added amount of time it took to find the real killer because of him- I'd have hoped that this loser would be sitting in a cell next to Stockelman for at least the next ten years. Anyone ever heard of "interfering with an investigation"?