Lawrenceburg, IN —A Bright resident pled Guilty but Mentally Ill on two counts of Burglary for several charges stemming from a string of incidents that began in August of 2019. Kevin R. Raftery, 29, entered the plea o June 30.
Prosecutor Lynn Deddens commented at the conclusion of the case, “Mr. Raftery pled guilty but mentally ill and accepted a plea agreement to the maximum sentence permitted under the law. This result is ultimately the best outcome for the victims and permits the offender to receive mental health treatment through the Department of Corrections. This is a case that could have ended tragically, thankfully that is not the case.”
The case first came to the attention of police in the late summer of 2019, when they were contacted by Hidden Valley Lake resident, Elizabeth Brown, in reference to a possible stalking and residential entry. Elizabeth told investigators she believed her daughter’s ex-boyfriend, Kevin Raftery, had been breaking into their house and possibly stalking her daughter. Ms. Brown also reported that for several months they had been noticing items in the home mysteriously being moved within the house. They had also found messages the suspect had left written on a dry erase board in the basement.
According to the probable cause affidavit, in August of 2019, Ms. Brown and her family were leaving for vacation. Ms. Brown’s daughter forgot an item at the residence in Hidden Valley and went back to retrieve it. The daughter observed Raftery driving away from their residence. When the daughter entered the residence, she discovered a space heater that had been placed face down on top of a pile of clothes. The daughter advised that the clothes smelled as if they were burning and were hot to the touch.
In a separate incident in September of 2019, Ms. Brown contacted Hidden Valley Lake Reserve Deputy Dominick Witko at approximately 2:30 am to report someone walking in their driveway and messing with the front door. In the video captured by Brown’s home surveillance system, one video shows a subject taking down the camera and taking the batteries out in an attempt to disable it.
A 3rd incident occurred where Raftery was again identified on the home video surveillance.
Raftery was eventually found living in Kentucky in early 2020 Detectives found multiple items previously reported stolen by the Brown’s. Raftery was arrested and charged following his release from the 72-hour hold.
Under the plea agreement, Raftery pled guilty to two counts of Burglary. Raftery will serve the maximum sentence on each count, of 6 years, for a total of 12 years in the Indiana Department of Correction. He will be eligible to receive mental health treatment while incarcerated and will receive credit for time served as well as good time credit.
