Switzerland County Jury Convicts Repeat Felon

Altercation took place in 2022

Earlier this week, a Switzerland County jury convicted Shane Michael Turner (01/06/1981) on two felony counts: Aggravated Battery, a Level 3 Felony and Criminal Recklessness with a Deadly Weapon, a Level 6 Felony.

Turner was convicted of stabbing another man in the face during an altercation near Patriot Indiana, in January 2022. The stabbing occurred in an area referred to as the Land Development. Turner’s victim suffered life-threatening injuries that required helicopter transport to a Cincinnati trauma center. Despite nearly 300 stitches, the victim remains permanently disfigured. Turner was investigated and apprehended shortly after the attack by the Switzerland County Sheriff’s Department. Law enforcement observed Turner’s behavior during the investigation to be consistent with methamphetamine use.

Switzerland County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Ryan Bland and Prosecuting Attorney Ryan Marshall conducted the 3-day jury trial. Bland presented testimony from the victim, an eyewitness, and Switzerland County Sheriff’s Deputies, including lead investigator, Detective Joe Spilman.

After the verdict, Turner, a former resident of Indianapolis, admitted to being a Habitual Felony Offender with prior convictions for Child Molesting and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm as a Serious Violent Felon.

After the verdict, Prosecutor Marshall said: “On that winter night, the Switzerland County Sheriff’s Department responded to a brutal crime. In doing so they saved a victim’s life, arrested a violent felon, and conducted a thorough investigation that allowed us to present a powerful case. I am grateful to those men and I am grateful to Chief Deputy Bland for his excellent work in our courtroom. Finally, we are all grateful for the 12 courageous jurors who reviewed evidence of the heinous assault, and rendered a just verdict. Those combined efforts helped make Switzerland County safer.”

Turner is currently incarcerated in the Switzerland County Jail awaiting sentencing. Turner faces a possible 34 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections