***MEDIA ADVISORY***
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 06, 2015
WILBURN SENTENCED TO 10 YEAR FOR BATTERY, NELSON STILL WANTED
Media Contact: Curtis T. Hill, Jr. (574) 296-1888
On the night of December 29, 2013, Adam Wilburn, along with co-defendant Daniel Nelson, severely beat an acquaintance, Joshua Coleman, during a party at a residence in Elkhart County. The two men then left the victim lying in a pool of his own blood with deep lacerations to his head, face, and neck. One witness described the Defendants’ involvement to officers, stating that after the victim was knocked unconscious and dragged to the living room, both men began kicking him about his body, Wilburn wearing steel-toed boots.
The victim was transported to Memorial Hospital in South Bend by MedFlight, and medical records stated he had sustained a “closed head injury, subdural, epidural, skull fracture.” The treating physician went on to state in the records that the “overall risks are extremely high. The patient could easily die from any of this; or may very well die in the future . . . No guarantees can be made.”
The Defendant was later identified through a cellular phone recording of the incident that was posted on Facebook and retrieved by officers of the Goshen Police Department. The Defendant accepted a plea agreement on December 4, 2014, with a sentencing exposure of twelve years.
At sentencing in Elkhart County Superior Court 1 on February 5, 2015, the victim and his mother testified before the Court. The victim stated that doctors told him that he was “lucky to be alive,” and that he continues to live cautiously after the incident after being told by doctors that his head injury could cause future problems, possibly life-threatening. The victim also discussed the extensive amount of medical bills he has incurred in excess of $20,000.
The victim’s mother told the Court how she had been contacted by hospital staff and told to come to the hospital immediately, arriving to find her son badly beaten and advised to prepare for the worst. She stated, “It hurt my heart,” and said it was something no parent should ever have to go through.
The State, represented by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kathleen Gring, had filed a motion with the Court prior to sentencing asking the Judge to view the video, which he did. Graphic photographs of the victim as he was found by emergency responders were also entered into evidence.
The Court sentenced the defendant to a total of ten years with two years being suspended. Five of the executed years will be served at the Indiana Department of Correction and three years at Elkhart County Community Corrections Work Release facility. There is currently an active warrant for Daniel Nelson out of Elkhart Superior Court 1 regarding his involvement in this matter. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney or the Elkhart County Sheriff's Department Warrants Division at (574) 291-2197.
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“Under Indiana law, all persons arrested for a criminal offense are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”
