By SYDNEY KENT
The trial of murder suspect Anthony Castleman is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. today in the Huntington Circuit Court. It is anticipated to take five days.
Castleman, 38, is facing one count for first degree murder, as well as a habitual offender enhancement that could extend his sentence by up to 20 years.
The charges were filed after police located the body of Castleman’s grandmother, Bernice “Dianna” Eubank, 72, on a rural property in Markle where Castleman is alleged to have also lived.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Tiffanee Cole, Eubank’s daughter and Castleman’s mother, told police that she had last seen her mother on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023. When Cole visited the property to check on Eubank, she found the home in disarray. A cut-up piece of an area rug was reportedly found in the driveway alongside Eubank’s purse. A broken picture frame and a family member’s urn were located nearby.
Eubank’s body was partially clothed, and hidden under pieces of lattice from the home’s front entrance, as well as several scraps of carpet. The report details numerous stab wounds and an injury to Eubank’s head.
Castleman’s cousin, David Watson, told police Castleman visited him at his residence the day before Eubank’s body was located. Watson advised that Castleman was driving his grandmother’s vehicle, using her cell phone, and had requested bleach and Watson’s assistance in “cleaning up a mess.” An hour after arriving at Watson’s house, Castleman reportedly made a call on Eubank’s phone. He was then picked up by an unknown subject and disconnected the phone.
One week after a warrant was issued for his arrest, the HCSD offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to his arrest. Billboards with a photo of Castleman’s face and charge were placed throughout the state.
He was located over one month later on Christmas day in Rochelle, Georgia. Castleman allegedly insisted that he was a different person altogether even after his arrest.
After several months of paperwork between the Crisp County Jail, the Attorney General’s Office and the Huntington County Sheriff’s Department — Castleman returned to Indiana. During his initial hearing in February, he requested a fast trial. However, he later changed his mind following a meeting with his attorney and set his first trial date for April.
The trial was moved to late August before it was rescheduled for a third time. Huntington County Circuit and Superior Court judges recused themselves from the case due to unspecified conflicts of interest and Special Judge Samuel Conrad from Adams County was appointed.
sydney@news-banner.com
