Christopher Lee Hargraves, 20, McCordsville, will not have a second trial on rape charges. He instead has admitted guilt to a Level 3 felony count of confinement and three other minor charges.
HANCOCK COUNTY — A second trial slated for late June in a case involving two counts of rape and multiple other charges will more than likely not take place. The Hancock County Prosecutor’s Office and officials for defendant Christopher Lee Hargraves have entered into a plea agreement.
The plea must still be officially accepted by Judge Scott Sirk in Hancock County Circuit Court later this summer during an official sentencing hearing.
As part of the plea deal, Hargraves, 20, McCordsville has admitted guilt to a Level 3 felony count of confinement, a Level 6 felony count of pointing a firearm, two misdemeanor charges of having a handgun without a license and possession of marijuana.
He is expected to be given an eight-year term, the plea agreement documents state. Two years of the term are expected to be served while the remainder of the sentence, six years, is expected to executed through the Hancock County Probation Office.
The court has yet to be determine if probation will be served on sex offender probation or formal probation. However, the deal states the first 730 days on probation will include home detention through Hancock County Community Corrections. If Hargraves has no violations during that time, he could be allowed to serve the remainder of probation through formal probation, court documents state.
While the plea has been agreed upon by the state and Hargraves, Sirk will have the final say and can determine the length of the term and the details on how the sentence will be served, or he could reject the deal.
Hargraves was set for a final pretrial conference in Circuit Court Tuesday afternoon but instead admitted his guilt during the hearing when the change of plea was officially entered into record. Hargraves is expected to be sentenced by Sirk June 30.
In the first trial, held in December, 2021, Hargraves was found guilty on two misdemeanor and one Level 6 felony charge, but a jury could not determine guilt or innocence on six other charges, including two counts of Level 1 felony rape from an alleged incident in September, 2020.
While officials with the prosecutor’s office had plans to go to trial for a second time on the remaining counts, including the rape charges, after discussing options with the victim, the plea agreement was agreed upon.
“After communication with law enforcement who worked this case and the victim, we all agreed this was the right thing to do,” prosecutor Brent Eaton said.
The victim felt justice has been served, Eaton said as he noted every case is different as is every outcome.
“The victim, who has to live with the outcome as well as the trauma of the incident, was ready to move on with her life,” Eaton said. “Her voice was heard here.”
The court vacated the jury verdicts from the first trial Tuesday afternoon and has taken the plea agreement under advisement while the probation department prepares a pre-sentence investigation report on Hargraves. It will be discussed more at the official sentencing.
Part of the deal calls for the remaining charges that were not addressed in the first trial to also be dismissed. A no-contact order will remain in place with the victim during the duration of the term, including all direct or indirect contact with the woman, the document states.
The plea agreement also says Hargraves will have to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
