Dayqawn Peoples Convicted of Dealing Resulting in Death
April 17, 2026
On April 17, 2026, a Madison County Circuit 4 jury found Daqawn Peoples (33 of Anderson) guilty of Dealing in a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death, a Level 1 felony, Dealing in a Narcotic Drug, a Level 2 felony, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon, a Level 4 felony. The charges stem from the January 22, 2025 overdose death of Morgan Whetsel.
Judge David Happe set Peoples' sentencing for June 2, 2026, at 1:30 pm where he faces a maximum possible sentence of 52 years.
At trial, the State's case was presented by Deputy Prosecutors Tyler Piraino and Jesse Miller. The State's case was investigated by Det. Lance Blossom of the Anderson Police Department.
Madison County Prosecutor's Office News
On April 15, 2026, following a two-day trial, a Madison County Circuit I jury found Douglas Nathan White, Jr. (57 of Anderson) guilty of Sexual Misconduct with a Minor, a Level 4 felony. Following the jury's verdict, White admitted to being a Habitual Offender (a sentencing enhancement based on the defendant's criminal history that adds an additional 6-20 years to any sentence). Judge Angela Warner Sims set White's sentencing for June 15, 2026, where he faces a maximum possible sentence of 32 years. At trial, the State's case was presented by Deputy Prosecutors Jack Slay and Matt Savage. The case was investigated by Sgt. Chris Burton of the Anderson Police Department.
On April 9, 2026, following a two-day trial, a Madison County Circuit Court IV jury found Jason Bailey (56 of Anderson) guilty of the following: Count I: Dealing in Methamphetamine, a Level 2 felony; Count II: Dealing in Cocaine, a Level 2 felony; Count III: Unlawful Possession of a Syringe, a Level 6 felony; Count IV: Possession of a Syringe, a Class C misdemeanor. Following the jury's verdict, Judge David Happe remanded Bailey into the custody of the Madison County Sheriff's Department. Bailey's sentencing was scheduled for May 12, 2026, where he faces a maximum sentence of 30 years. At trial, the State's case was presented by Deputy Prosecutor Grainne Kao and Chief Deputy Prosecutor Andrew Hanna. The case was investigated by Deputy John Vieke of the Madison County Sheriff's Department.
On March 24, 2026, Judge David Happe sentenced Tremmeric Love (23 of Anderson) to 38 years for a January 2025 shooting spree which left one person injured. Judge Happe ordered 30 years of the sentence to be executed at the Indiana Department of Correction followed by 8 years of probation. On February 17, 2026, Love pleaded guilty to the following offenses: Count I: Aggravated Battery, a Level 3 felony; Count II: Battery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, a Level 5 felony; C ount III: Criminal Recklessness, a Level 6 felony; Count IV: Criminal Recklessness, a Level 5 felony; Count V: Criminal Recklessness, a Level 6 felony; Count VI: Criminal Recklessness, a Level 6 felony; Count VII: Criminal Recklessness, a Level 6 felony; Count VIII: Criminal Recklessness, a Level 6 felony; Count IX: Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon, a Level 4 felony; and Count X: Firearm Enhancement. An investigation conducted by the Anderson Police Department revealed the following information which led to Love's charges in this case: On January 13, 2025, Love was released from the Miami Correctional Facility to parole around 11:00 am. Within a matter of hours, Love messaged another person requesting to purchase a handgun. The following day, January 14, 2025, around 8:15 pm, while driving on 38th Street in Anderson, Love fired at least 8 rounds from a handgun at a passing vehicle, which was occupied by two juvenile males unknown to Love, striking one male juvenile once in the abdomen. Police were dispatched to the scene and the victim was transported to the hospital where he received treatment and has since made a full recovery. This incident serves as the basis for Counts I-III, VIII, and X. Around 9:15 pm on the same day, surveillance footage from multiple businesses around the intersection of Nichol and Madison Ave. show the vehicle in which Love was driving slow down and fire 4-5 rounds at a person walking in a field across from the Milk Barn gas station. The victim never reported this incident and remains unidentified. This incident serves as the basis for Count IV. Approximately 10 minutes later, Love returns to the same intersection and fires 8-9 rounds at a vehicle parked at a gas pump which caused two male occupants of the vehicle to flee however neither were injured. Again, these persons were unknown to Love. This incident serves as the bases for Counts V-VII. On January 15, 2025, the Anderson Police Department determined the likely identity of the shooter as Tremmeric Love and obtained and executed a series of search warrants. The Anderson Police Department located Love at a residence on Chesterfield Drive where he was found in possession of a Ruger Security 9 mm handgun. Laboratory testing later confirmed the firearm matched the ballistics from the three separate shooting incidents on January 14, 2025. Possession of the firearm served as the basis for Count IX. Tremmeric Love is considered a Serious Violent Felon under Indiana law due to a 2023 conviction for Battery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, a Level 5 felony, for which he was released from prison the day before his January 2025 shooting spree. The State's case was presented by Deputy Prosecutor Tyler Piraino. The case was investigated by Det. Nolan Schaefer of the Anderson Police Department.
On March 18, 2026, the Indiana Court of Appeals handed down two decisions affirming the convictions and sentences of Demarcus Davis and Roger Rodriguez for the 2023 Murder of Timothy Kates. Davis and Rodriguez were both convicted of Murder, a felony, Felony Murder, a felony, and Armed Robbery, a Level 3 felony, following a joint trial in Madison County Circuit Court 1 which concluded on January 10, 2025. Following the trial, both Davis and Rodriguez admitted to being Habitual Offenders. At sentencing, the State presented evidence from Facebook messages which were inadmissible at trial that in the months prior to the murder, Davis and Rodriguez were engaged in purchasing and selling various kinds of narcotics and several firearms. Timiah Kates, the daughter of Timothy Kates, delivered a statement regarding her father, his positive impact on his family and the people around him, as well what the loss has meant for her and her younger siblings. Judge Sims imposed a maximum sentence for Murder of 65 years and a maximum sentence of 16 years for Armed Robbery to be served consecutively for both Davis and Rodriguez. Each Murder conviction was enhanced by an additional 15 years due to their criminal history as Habitual Offenders for a total of 96 years each for both Davis and Rodriguez, all to be executed at the Indiana Department of Correction. Demarcus Davis received an additional sanction for a violation on an existing case of an additional 4 years to be executed at the Indiana Department of Correction for a total sentence of 100 years. At trial, the State's case was presented by Deputy Prosecutor Jennifer Haley and Chief Deputy Prosecutor Andrew Hanna. The case was investigated by Detective Travis Thompson of the Anderson Police Department. On appeal, Davis and Rodriguez advanced several different arguments why their convictions should be reversed or their sentences reduced. In all instances, the Indiana Court of Appeals rejected their arguments and affirmed their convictions and their sentences.
On March 23, 2026, Judge Angela Warner Sims sentenced Jeramie Wayne Murdock (53 of Anderson) to thirty-three (33) years in the Indiana Department of Correction following his conviction on multiple felony charges involving firearms and methamphetamine. On February 12, 2026, a Madison County Circuit Court I jury found Murdock guilty of two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm by a Serious Violent Felon, both Level 4 felonies, as well as Possession of Methamphetamine, a Level 5 felony, and Possession of Paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor. The Court imposed consecutive sentences of ten (10) years on each firearm count and enhanced the sentence by an additional thirteen (13) years due to Murdock’s habitual offender status, resulting in a total sentence of thirty-three (33) years. The convictions stem from a June 1, 2022, incident in which officers with the Anderson Police Department located Murdock, who was wanted on two warrants, attempting to hide in a camper on a property on Mounds Road. After taking Murdock into custody, officers recovered two firearms, methamphetamine, and a pipe used to smoke methamphetamine from inside the camper. One firearm and the pipe were found in the bed where Murdock had been hiding. A second firearm was located on the chair of the dining table near the foot of the bed, and methamphetamine was found on a nearby counter. Subsequent forensic testing confirmed the presence of Murdock’s DNA on both firearms. Murdock is a serious violent felon prohibited from possessing firearms under Indiana law due to his 2012 conviction for Dealing in Methamphetamine as a Class B felony. The State’s case at trial and sentencing was presented by Deputy Prosecutors Jack Slay and Gina Koorsen. The case was investigated by Sergeant Gordon Corner of the Anderson Police Department.
