[Image courtesy Lawrence County Sheriff's Department]
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Last updated on Thursday, March 26, 2009
Updated 3/25/2009 9:13am
(BEDFORD) - Lawrence County Sheriff’s Deputies are investigating the stabbing death of a Bedford man in the Pride Estates park.
Lawrence County Sheriff Sam Craig tells WBIW News one man is dead and another had to be airlifted to University of Louisville Hospital early this morning, and now his detectives are looking for a person of interest.
Craig says anyone with information on the crime or the whereabouts of Joseph Hillenberg, who is believed to be about 25-years-old and from Bedford, should call his department at (812) 275-3316.
Police were called at 714 Glendale Way shortly after 2:00am this morning to the report of a stabbing, and, once there, county officers called in Bedford officers, Dunn and Shawswick medical technicians to help the victims, and an Indiana State Police helicopter to search for Hillenberger.
Hillenberger was last seen near the home at Pride Estates and Sandpit Road.
Officers closed down the Lawrence County Complex, which houses county highway and sanitation crews and equipment, until sunrise this morning due to the proximity of the crime scene to the building.
Update 3/24/2009 10:11am:
Lawrence County Sheriff Sam Craig has released the name of the individual that died in this morning's incident.
Craig says 25-year-old Garries D. Hillenberg of Needmore died, however, he is still not ready to release the name of the injured individual pending further information.
Craig says Garries Hillenberg had injuries consistent with a stabbing, however, the official cause of death will not be determined until an autopsy, scheduled for today, is complete.
Joseph Hillenberg is described as 5'10" tall, 120 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. No clothing description is available, and the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department is searching through records to see if they have any images of the man on file.
Update 3/24/2009 12:10pm:
Lawrence County Sheriff Sam Craig just now tells WBIW News Joshua Hillenberg has been apprehended. No charges have been filed, but detectives are currently talking to him to find more information about the incident.
Additionally, Craig reports 22-year-old Jessica George of Bedford was arrested this morning in relation to the incident. George was charged with public intoxication, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest by fleeing.
Craig believes, at the moment, it appears George left the home while investigators were on scene trying to figure out what happened.
Update 3/24/2009 4:50pm:
Lawrence County Sheriff Sam Craig tells WBIW News just now that charges of murder and attempted murder have been filed against 26-year-old Joseph Hillenberg in the death of 25-year-old Garries Hillenberg.
Hillenberg was lodged in the Lawrence County Security Center, according to Craig, at 3:50pm today.
Craig says they have a basic idea of the actual events that happened early this morning, however, detectives have more follow-up interviews to conduct today and tomorrow, and will not be able to make a final public disclosure of the incident until possibly Wednesday morning.
Update 3/25/2009 9:13am:
The Lawrence County Sheriff's Department, this morning, released additional details in the stabbing death of 25-year-old Garries Hillenberg, including the name of the man airlifted to Louisville for his injuries.
Lawrence County Sheriff Sam Craig tells WBIW News 23-year-old Brandon K. Smith of Bedford was taken to University of Louisville Hospital for what he could only describe as "treatment of a laceration." Craig said he did not know if there were multiple wounds or how extensive they were, but that he was released sometime yesterday.
In all, 7 adults and 5 children were in the Pride Estates home when the incident happened, and two other adults were taken to local medical centers for treatment of minor injuries. The children were taken by Child Protective Services and released to family members.
Craig says the incident reportedly started as a domestic dispute between 26-year-old Joseph Hillenberg, the accused attacker, and 22-year-old Jessica George, the other woman arrested for other minor charges. The problem escalated and that's when, Craig says, the killing of Garries Hillenberg and the injuring of Smith occurred.
Hillenberg and George, according to Craig, appear to have one or more children together.
So far, Craig says Lawrence County detectives have been issued a search warrant for the home in order to process the scene and have already recovered a "folding knife" which, authorities believe, is the murder weapon.
Keep listening to WBIW News and watching WBIW.com for updates as they become available.
[Image courtesy Lawrence County Sheriff's Department]
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