COLUMBUS – Daniel Denny, 20 pleaded guilting but mentally ill in the June stabbing death of his roommate Eric Cavanaugh.
Judge Kelly Benjamin could sentence Denny between 45 to 65 years with an advisory sentence of 55 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections during Denny’s sentencing which is scheduled for 3 p.m. on March 31. After Denny arrives at an Indiana state prison, he will be evaluated and treated for his specific psychiatric illness.
Cavanaugh was killed on June 1, 2021, in an apartment he shared with Denny. Cavanaugh suffered multiple stab wounds to his back and chest, believed to have been inflicted by a chef’s knife, according to the coroner’s office.
Cavanaugh told police while in the ambulance there was no fight or argument between him and Denny. Cavanaugh told police Denny began explaining “why he was going to hurt me” just before the stabbing.
Cavanaugh, a 2020 graduate of Columbus East High School, died a short time after arriving at Columbus Regional Hospital.
