A Hardinsburg man has been sentenced to 12 years, with 4 years suspended, on 24 counts of animal neglect, said Washington County Prosecutor Tara Hunt.

Ryan Crum was sentenced June 1 in Washington Circuit Court.

“This was a serious case of animal neglect,” said Prosecutor Hunt. “The many dogs owned by Mr. Crum were horribly neglected and their lives were endangered due to his lack of care.”

Upon his release from prison, Crum will be on probation for four years and will be required to seek mental health services. Crum is also prohibited from possessing or caring for a vertebrate animal.

The incident began July 28, 2021, when the Washington County Animal Control Officer was dispatched to a residence on South Green Mill Road in reference to the smell of something deceased.

When Officer Mike Wimmer asked Crum about the smell, he said it was probably a dead chicken at the neighbor’s.  As Officer Wimmer spoke with Crum, his two dozen dogs began to gather around. He noted in his police report that the dogs appeared dangerously underweight and emaciated. There were also dogs on the property which were locked in a semi-trailer with temperatures in the 90’s.

Crum admitted his dogs had been passing blood in their feces and said he couldn’t find anyone to take him and the dogs to the veterinarian.

Officer Wimmer asked Crum several times if he could bring the State Veterinarian to the property to observe the dogs. He finally agreed.

After viewing photos of the dogs, State Veterinarian Dr. Jodi Lovejoy said the dogs appeared to be in significant jeopardy and she was very concerned about the dogs locked in the trailer, as well as a lack of food or water for the dogs, three of which later died as a result of their neglect.

“Animals depend upon humans for their survival,” said Prosecutor Hunt. “When animal owners in Washington County fail to properly care for their animals, we will always take that very seriously.” 

Crum was found guilty in a jury trial last August.  “This was an unusual trial because the defendant failed to appear and he was tried in abstentia, meaning the trial was held in his absence with his counsel present on his behalf,” said Prosecutor Hunt.  “These are instances that you normally learn about in law school. I was extremely impressed with the trial process and ultimate guilty verdict reached at the hands of Deputy Prosecutor Nathan Bills, who was new to our office at time of trial.  Bills was able to take a difficult animal neglect case with multiple counts and present the facts in a manner that ensured the jury could make the right decision.” said Hunt.

She would also like to thank Animal Control Officer Wimmer and officers within the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, the staff and volunteers of the Washington County Humane Society and Salem Animal Shelter, along with the expertise of the Board of Animal Health, specifically Dr. Jodi Lovejoy DVM, because without their investigation and efforts a case of this nature could not have a successful outcome.

A nine-year-old boy was struck by a vehicle as he attempted to cross the highway shortly before 9 a.m. on Thursday, June 1,

The child was transported by air ambulance to Norton Children’s Hospital and sustained serious injuries.

Nathaniel R. Byler passed away later in the afternoon as a result of his injuries.

He was born February 17, 2014 in Paoli.

Nathaniel is survived by his parents, William and Rebecca Byler; paternal grandparents, William, Sr. and Rebecca Byler; maternal grandparents, Moses and Christine Schmidt; 4 brothers: Mose, Willis, Jonas, and Jesse Byler; and 6 sisters: Rachel Girod (Jacob), Edna Schwartz (Reuben), Lucy, Tina, Rebecca, and Joan Byler.

Byler had checked a mailbox on the east side of State Road 135 North and was crossing the highway to return home when he was struck.

The vehicle, a 2022 Lincoln Navigator, was operated by 81-year-old Fred Harrison of Medora, Indiana.

“This was a very unfortunate accident,” Sheriff Brent Miller said. “Our prayers are with all parties involved in this tragedy.”

S.R. 135 North was closed for about four hours following the accident.

Detective Brad Naugle is the lead investigator with assistance from Washington County EMS and members of the Jefferson and Monroe Township Volunteer Fire Departments.

An Indiana State Police accident reconstruction team was called to the scene to assist with the investigation, said Miller.

No charges have been filed and the accident remains under investigation at this time.

Washington Circuit Judge Larry Medlock granted a request on Thursday, June 1 to allow a jury to be brought in from outside Washington County to decide the fate of a woman charged in the death of a boy whose body was found inside a suitcase.

The jury will come from Harrison County. 

Medlock granted the change of venue Thursday for Dawn Coleman.

She argued the public outrage over the death of 5-year-old Cairo Ammar Jordan would prevent her from getting a fair trial.

The issue will be further discussed at a pre-trial conference to be held on July 6 at 9a.

The trial is set for October 3 at 8:30a.

Police arrested Coleman in October after they tracked her down in San Franciso.

Prosecutors say she helped the child’s mother, DeJuana Ludie Andeson, dispose of the boy’s body in Pekin last year. 

Andeson is still at large. 

A Scottsburg business owner was arrested Friday, June 2 on several felony charges following an Indiana State Police investigation that began in March.  

John Christopher Gibbs, , 57, Louisville, Kentucky, owner of Gibbs Innovative Manufacturers Inc.(GIM Inc.), located in Scottsburg, Indiana allegedly defrauded vendors of over $302,000.00 in this case.  

Gibbs was arrested and charged with:

1. Corrupt Business Practices, Level 5 Felony – one count.
2. Fraud, Level 5 Felony – Five counts 
3. Theft, Level 5 Felony – Three counts 
4. Fraud, Level 6 Felony – Two counts 
5. Theft, Level 6 Felony – Four counts 

In March, a business vendor and potential fraud victim contacted Detective Tim Denby with the Indiana State Police Special Investigations Section.

The vendor alleged fraudulent business practices by John Christopher Gibbs.

The vendor stated Gibbs paid for services rendered with a fraudulent check.

The check in question was for an amount over $10,000.

As a result of his subsequent investigation, Detective Denby believed Gibbs knowingly wrote the check the day after Gibbs closed the associated checking account.  

As the investigation continued, Detective Denby learned of multiple other vendors who were potential victims and owed large payments by GIM Inc. for work completed at the GIM, Inc. factory in Scottsburg.

Those vendors included various contractors in southern Indiana and a locally based financial institution.

Kentucky State Police (KSP) detectives arrested John Gibbs Friday at a Simpsonville, Kentucky, hotel he was using as his residence. KSP also arrested John Christopher Gibbs on related warrants from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia.  

The Scott County Indiana Prosecutor’s Office, The Kentucky State Police, and the Louisville Metro Police Department assisted in this investigation.