OHIO COUNTY, IN — The Indiana Supreme Court has upheld the Life Without Parole sentence issued to Andrew Conley, who was convicted of the 2009 murder of his younger brother.
The sentence was handed down by Ohio Circuit Court Judge James D. Humphrey.
Conley was 17 1/2 years old when he murdered his 10-year-old brother Connor in November 2009.
The older Conley entered a guilty plea to the murder but tried to avoid a sentence of life without parole during a six-day sentencing hearing held in September 2010. Conley’s attorneys mainly argued that his age, together with his mental health status, should preclude the life without parole sentence.
Judge Humphrey disagreed, as did the Indiana Court of Appeals, and the state Supreme Court during Conley’s direct appeals.
However, Conley recently initiated a new set of appeals, claiming his lawyers did not properly represent him and that he should be re-sentenced.
The Indiana Court of Appeals overturned Conley’s life without parole sentence and directed Judge Humphrey to re-sentence Conley.
The Indiana Supreme Court, in a 17-page opinion issued by all five justices, reversed the Court of Appeals ruling and, in turn, rejected all of Conley’s arguments.
“I am pleased with the decision of the Supreme Court and grateful for the Court’s thorough and thoughtful opinion,” said Dearborn-Ohio County Prosecutor Lynn Deddens. “The murder committed by Andrew Conley was one of the most brutal and callous acts ever committed in Ohio County. The evidence was clear and the sentence was just. With the life without parole sentence in place, the public need never fear what Mr. Conley might do if released from prison.”
According to the prosecution during the 2009 sentencing hearing, Conley was babysitting his brother while his parents were working.
Conley wanted to go out and drove Connor to other family members’ homes in an attempt to get them to watch Connor while Conley went out.
Conley was unable to get anyone to watch Connor so he and his brother returned home.
At some point, they engaged in wrestling where Conley placed his brother in a headlock causing him to pass out.
Conley noticed his brother was bleeding from his face and dragged him to the kitchen.
After putting on gloves he placed his hands on his brother’s throat and choked him for about 20 minutes.
Conley then placed a plastic bag over his brother’s head, used electrical tape to secure it, and drag him by his feet from the house.
Once outside he struck his brother’s head against the ground several times to assure his brother was dead before placing him in the trunk of the car and then later disposing of his body in a nearby park.
Conley equated his urge to kill to that of a starving person craving a hamburger.
He told investigators he felt like the serial killer portrayed in the Showtime television series “Dexter.”
