A double murder trial in Mt. Vernon was cut short by a guilty plea. WNIN’s John Gibson has the story:
Posey County Prosecutor Thomas Clowers says 30-year-old Austin Kusturin pleaded guilty to the murders of John and Elizabeth Hall in their Mt. Vernon home in 2021.
Clowers says Kusturin pleaded guilty to other charges against him, including Burglary, Robbery, and Being a Habitual Offender.
The plea agreement came just before opening statements were to begin in Kusturin’s trial, and allows him to avoid a potential term of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Kusturin could still face a sentence of up to 170 years.
In a release, Clowers says the guilty pleas allow the family and loved ones of the John and Elizabeth Hall to have justice without the burden of sitting through a trial that would display what Clowers called “heinous and senseless crimes.”
Kusturin admitted to killing the Halls with a shotgun while burglarizing their home.
He was arrested four days later and has been jailed without bond.