Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Monday, January 27, 2014
(TERRE HAUTE) — An Iowa man was formally charged with murder Friday in the 1998 slaying of a 19-year-old woman whose body was found in a western Indiana home where she had been house sitting.
Clinton Mackey, 33, of Vinton, Iowa, was being held without bond at the Vigo County Jail in Erika Case's killing. During Friday's hearing in Terre Haute, a judge set Mackey's trial for July 14 and agreed to appoint an attorney for the former West Terre Haute, Ind., man.
Sheriff Greg Ewing, who reopened the investigation into Case's killing about six months ago, said Mackey had been a suspect in her death for a long time.
Case was found dead on Sept. 6, 1998, in a West Terre Haute home where she had been housesitting for friends. Mackey was one of the last people to see her alive, the Tribune-Star reported.
Vigo County Prosecutor Terry Modesitt said county detectives had obtained a full and detailed confession from Mackey, who waived extradition to Indiana during a Thursday hearing before a Benton County, Iowa, judge.
Modesitt said evidence is still being gathered in the case and witnesses are still being interviewed.
"We want a solid case, a confession alone in a case is not enough," he said.
Ewing credited the TNT program "Cold Justice" with helping put pressure on Mackey as it investigated her killing for a segment set to air Feb. 14.
"Cold Justice gave us that avenue. ... We ramped this case up, went back and went through the entire case from the beginning," he told WTHI-TV.
Case's brother, Jury Case Jr., said Friday that he and his family are "grateful that we finally have closure."
But he said it's unfortunate that his mother, who is deceased, "couldn't be here to witness this day."
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.