A southwest Indiana man has pleaded guilty to murder and other charges after he shot and robbed an elderly couple in their home.
Austin Kusturin, 30, of Mount Vernon, pleaded guilty to all 11 charges on Wednesday, the day after a jury was selected for his trial in the deaths of John Hall and Elizabeth “Betty” Hall, both 74. Sentencing is scheduled for July 18.
Posey County Prosecutor Thomas Clowers said the plea deal with Kusturin would relieve the Hall family of the burden of a trial that would expose his “heinous and senseless crimes.” He said Kusturin faces up to 170 years in prison.
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“My office will seek the maximum sentence, which would essentially be a life sentence,” Clowers said in a statement.
An Indiana man has pleaded guilty to murder and other charges in the shooting and robbery of an elderly couple.
A relative checking on the Halls’ safety discovered their bodies in November 2021 at their home in Mount Vernon, a town on the Ohio River west of Evansville. Indiana State Police were able to recover the couple’s cellphones near Kustrin’s residence. A gun belonging to John Hall was found in Kustrin’s shared storage unit, and Kustrin’s fingerprints were found on John Hall’s cellphone, according to the affidavit.
Kusturin’s lawyer, Glenn Gramp, said his client told him he had decided to plead guilty before opening statements began Wednesday morning. He said Kusturin did not elaborate on why.
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Gramp said his client’s guilty plea eliminates the possibility of a life sentence, but Kusturin will likely spend a “significant amount of time” in prison.
