(Lawrenceburg, IN) – The Indiana Court of Appeals has affirmed the conviction and 61-and-a-half-year sentence of Billy Gene Luke from a Dearborn Circuit Court case from May of 2022.
Luke is a Dillsboro native who was found guilty of two counts of Stalking (Level 4 felonies), and 15 counts of Invasion of Privacy (Level 6 felonies) by Senior Judge James Humphrey following a bench trial.
A few of the Invasion of Privacy counts were dismissed prior to sentencing on the State’s motion to avoid double-jeopardy concerns.
It was determined that Luke engaged in a prolonged course of conduct involving repeated violations of multiple court-issued protective orders.
The Trial Court found substantial and significant aggravating circumstances including the Luke’s extensive criminal history, which includes numerous felony and misdemeanor convictions, repeated probation violations, and prior habitual offender enhancement.
Luke was sentenced to 12 years for each of the two Stalking convictions and two-and-a-half years for each of the 15 Invasion of Privacy counts.
The Court recommended maximum security placement and ordered that Luke’s mail privileges be restricted and monitored to the fullest extent permitted by law. A protective order was issued prohibiting any contact with the victim.
“Mr. Luke will remain incarcerated for most of his life. According to the Indiana Department of Correction, his projected release date is October 2068. For more than 12 years, Mr. Luke carried out a continuous pattern of stalking behavior, whether free in the community or confined behind bars,” said Dearborn County Prosecutor Lynn Deddens. “The victim in this case endured years of ongoing and repeated stalking and harassment by Mr. Luke, despite ongoing criminal cases.”
With the Indiana Court of Appeals affirming the conviction, Luke can petition the Supreme Court for review. However, it is discretionary if the Supreme Court will accept transfer.
