***MEDIA ADVISORY***

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 17, 2014

WINKLEMAN'S KIDNAPPING AND ROBBERY ESCAPADE NETS HIM 76 YEARS IN THE DOC

Media Contact: Curtis T. Hill, Jr. (574) 296-1888

On Thursday, April 17, 2014, Tyrone Winkleman was sentenced in Elkhart Circuit Court to an aggregate sentence of seventy-six years. On July 25, 2013, Winkleman severely assaulted and robbed James Armagost, a 68-year-old over-the-road truck driver, causing serious injury to Mr. Armagost’s face. Mr. Winkleman then made Mr. Armagost get into the passenger side of his own vehicle while Mr. Winkleman took the wheel. He then forced Mr. Armagost to accompany him throughout Elkhart for several hours, buying drugs, liquor, and soliciting a prostitute with the stolen funds. Mr. Winkleman was convicted at trial on March 26, 2014, of Robbery Causing Serious Bodily Injury, a Class A Felony; Kidnapping, a Class A Felony; Criminal Confinement, a Class B Felony; and Carjacking, a Class B Felony. He admitted to being a Habitual Criminal Offender (HCO), and judgment of conviction was entered on Counts I-III and the HCO. Mr. Winkleman was facing a total of 150 years in prison.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Don Pitzer implored the Court for a substantially aggravated sentence, directing the Court’s attention to not only the facts presented at trial, including the extent of Mr. Armagost’s injuries, but also Mr. Winkleman’s criminal history, beginning in his juvenile years. His adjudications and convictions indicated a propensity to commit violent offenses across several states, some of which were similar in nature to the events of July 25, 2013. DPA Pitzer told the Court that based on many of his risk factors, it was important to keep Mr. Winkleman away from regular society for as long as possible. DPA Pitzer referenced the “nightmare” Mr. Winkleman had created for Mr. Armagost, forcing him to forego medical treatment while he drove around Elkhart for several hours, all the while witnessing Mr. Armagost bleeding profusely from the face. He also referenced trial testimony from Mr. Armagost related to Mr. Armagost’s fear that, after being threatened by Mr. Winkleman throughout the evening, Mr. Winkleman would simply kill him and leave him in one of the “many swamps” in Florida once Mr. Armagost’s next load was delivered and Mr. Winkleman had obtained the money from that job.

In handing down the Court’s sentence, Judge Terry Shewmaker cited as aggravating factors Mr. Armagost’s age, his prior military service (a veteran of Vietnam), and the fact that Mr. Armagost had some medical disabilities. One of these was that he was on Cumadin, a blood thinner, for heart problems. The Court noted that the injuries Mr. Winkleman inflicted upon Mr. Armagost were especially concerning in light of his medical history and medications. Judge Shewmaker also pointed out that Mr. Winkleman kept control of Mr. Armagost’s nitroglycerin tablets which were located in a vile on Mr. Armagost’s truck key chain. Judge Shewmaker noted as an aggravator that the proceeds of the robbery were used to buy drugs and solicit a prostitute, stating that synthetic marijuana and alcohol are never a good combination. He also pointed out that Mr. Winkleman’s criminal history suggested that he “cannot or will not conform his behavior to the laws” of society.

Judge Shewmaker did take into consideration Mr. Winkleman’s long-standing history of mental health problems, including the two competency evaluations that had been completed during this case. He also noted that Mr. Winkleman admitted to the Habitual Criminal Offender portion, helping to conserve time and resources for the trial, and although he could not, by statute, hand out a sentence any lower than thirty years on that enhancement, he gave Mr. Winkleman consideration in sentencing him on other counts. The Court sentenced Mr. Winkleman to an aggregate sentence of seventy-six years.

This case was tried by Elkhart County Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys Don Pitzer and Kathleen Gring.

Additionally, on March 12, 2014, the State of Indiana charged Tyrone Winkleman with Robbery, a Class B Felony, Criminal Confinement, a Class B Felony, and the Habitual Criminal Offender. These charges are related to a separate incident on July 24, 2013 in which Mr. Winkleman is alleged to have robbed two women at Studio 327 hair salon on North Main St after confining them to a closet in the business. That case is currently set for trial on June 30, 2014.

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“Under Indiana law, all persons arrested for a criminal offense are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”