Jury members hear testimony on Anthony Castleman’s pervious charges
By SYDNEY KENT
In just nine minutes, a jury determined that a habitual offender enhancement was appropriate in the sentencing of Anthony Castleman, 38, Markle.
Castleman was found guilty of first-degree murder by the same jury on Thursday evening after 30 minutes of deliberation. The case was filed November 2023 when the body of Castleman’s grandmother, Bernice “Dianna” Eubank, was found with significant stab wounds under a pile of debris at her rural Markle home. The two had been living together at the time and Castleman was the last person to see Eubank alive.
Castleman is scheduled for sentencing at 1 p.m. on November 13 in the Huntington Circuit Court.
Throughout the trial, the state presented 26 witnesses, many of whom were various law enforcement officials involved in the investigation. A steady stream of qualified professionals ultimately refuted the defense’s claims of “tainted evidence” and human error cultivated into a “conspiracy to frame” Castleman.
Castleman also maintained his claim of innocence as he was escorted from the courthouse, yelling, “I did not do this. I did not commit this crime. Oppression is worse than slaughter.”
Friday’s proceeding was the final phase in the five-day trial. Huntington County Prosecutor Chris Harvey said the enhancement is a “tool to give to communities” to use with repeat offenders who have not changed their behavior after repeated convictions. A habitual offender enhancement can add up to 20 years to Castleman’s sentence, who already faces between 45 years to life in prison under the Indiana code for first-degree murder.
Castleman’s criminal history spans several states, counties, and decades — information that was withheld from jurors during the trial due to various state and federal laws.
To obtain the enhancement, the state was required to prove to the jury that Castleman was previously convicted of two separate unrelated cases in addition to his new conviction for murder.
The defense called two law enforcement officials as witnesses, both involved in obtaining or analyzing Castleman’s fingerprints. The officers testified that the prints associated with the charges were indeed Castleman’s. Jurors also received several documents outlining the charges and convictions for each case.
Harvey said that of the two prior convictions, one case was for strangulation against his mother, Tiffanee Cole.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Cole was arguing with Castleman after he grabbed the leg of his teenage sister, dragging her across the floor in anger. He then followed Cole into her bedroom and slammed her head into the wall before strangling her. Cole called for her daughter to call 911, and Castleman reportedly held up two knives threatening to kill himself if she called the police. On the domestic violence lethality sheet from the case, Cole marked that she believed Castleman would try to kill her. Castleman pled guilty to strangulation, domestic battery with bodily injury, and domestic battery in the case.
Harvey also cited a case from 2009 when Castleman was convicted of burglary. His defense attorney, Katrina Lynn, emphasized that the burglary conviction was 14 years ago. Harvey reiterated to the jury that a time limit does not pertain to this case.
sydney@news-banner.com
