SULLIVAN CO. – An additional arrest has been made in the homicide of Lowell R. Badger homicide.
Badger, a retired farmer, was found deceased in his rural Merom home on the morning of December 8, 2012.
Indiana State Trooper arrested 39-year-old Richard D. Taft on Tuesday, August 13, after Sullivan Superior Court Judge Hugh Hunt issued a warrant for his arrest. The Indiana Department of Corrections served the warrant to Taft, who is incarcerated at the Michigan City Correctional Facility.
He is now facing charges of murder and two felony counts of burglary resulting in bodily injury.
Agencies assisting in this arrest include the Sullivan County Prosecutor’s Office, Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department, Vigo County Prosecutor’s Office, IPAC, and the Indiana Department of Corrections.
Badger’s son found his father. Badger had been shot to death sometime between 8:00 p.m. on Friday, December 7, 2012, and 9:23 a.m. on Saturday, December 8, 2012. He was 85.
The Indiana State Police have continued to work on this case since that day.
Detectives have investigated hundreds of tips, conducted more than 300 interviews, and combed many areas of land and water on foot in the Sullivan County area on foot, with aircraft, all-terrain vehicles, boats, and SCUBA divers.
In early 2024, Sullivan County Prosecutor Ann Mischler learned she would need to request a special prosecutor for the case. Special Prosecuting Attorneys Rob Roberts (lead), Dave Powell, and Courtney Lawrence were appointed to the case.
On April 17, 2024, a grand jury was impaneled in Sullivan Superior Court to review the case. After six days of evidence and testimony, the grand jury issued a True Bill (indictments) on Wednesday for the following offenses:
William Ray Grimes, 38, will face charges of murder, burglary, and conspiracy to commit burglary, all Class A felonies.
Grand Jury proceedings are secret by law. No further information regarding the proceedings will be made available.
“This is the beginning of the criminal process,” said Attorney Rob Roberts.
