Jeremy Tyler Ferrell
HANCOCK COUNTY — An Indianapolis man accused of beating a fellow inmate who ended up losing an eye while both were in the Hancock County Jail took his case to court this week.
Judge D.J. Davis, Hancock County Superior Court 1, presided over the two-day jury trial which wrapped Wednesday and found Jeremy Tyler Ferrell guilty on all charges after the jury deliberated for two hours and 55 minutes.
Ferrell, 41, 20 block of North Drexel Avenue, had been charged with a Level 3 felony count of aggravated battery that results in loss or impairment of a bodily function and a Level 3 felony count of aggravated battery when assault causes serious permanent disfigurement.
The state’s case was handled by Hancock County Deputy Prosecutor Victoria Hicks while Ferrell was defended by Greenfield attorney Jeffrey McClarnon. Prosecutor Brent Eaton noted his office had tried to work out a plea deal earlier this year, but Ferrell wanted to go to trial so the prosecutor’s staff pushed forward.
Following the jury’s guilty verdicts, Ferrell waived his right to have a jury rule on his habitual offender status which needed to be settled. That sent the issue before the bench where Davis, after hearing evidence, determined Ferrell to also be guilty of being a habitual offender.
Ferrell is set to be sentenced by Davis, Wednesday, Oct. 11 in Superior Court 1. The two Level 3 felony charges he was found guilty of carry anywhere from three to 16 years in prison. Davis noted that at least three years are non-suspendible and that the habitual offender sentence could be anywhere from an eight- to 20-year term, which is non-suspendible.
Ferrell was originally in the county jail for a misdemeanor charge back in the summer of 2022 when he got into a fight with another inmate. According to a probable cause affidavit, officials with the county jail were made aware of a physical altercation between two of three inmates who were housed in the H-Pod cell on Aug. 24, 2022. The inmates were Ferrell, Kirk Dale Lonas and James Sachs, who officials determined witnessed the fight.
Lonas, 59, officials noted in the report, was taken to the hospital for an apparent right eye injury after an altercation with Ferrell. According to the report, jail officials found Lonas injured after they were called to the cell. Upon examination by officials, Lonas was taken to the hospital for further care.
Due to the severity of his eye injury, Lonas was eventually transferred to St. Vincent Hospital on Aug. 26, 2022. Doctors there advised Lonas at the time he had lost all vision in his right eye and was possibly going to lose the entire eye. Doctors were successful in surgically putting his right eye back together in the socket, the report said. However, the damage was so severe Lonas will not be able to see again out of the eye.
Lonas, who did testify at the trial, at the time of the fight was in jail facing Level 1 and Level 4 felony child molestation charges. He was found guilty of the Level 4 charges during a trial in mid-July and is awaiting sentencing set for Sept. 21, in Hancock County Circuit Court.
The report stated that Lonas and Ferrell had gotten into an issue over a snack and Ferrell kicked Lonas’ tote under a bunk. When Lonas went to call officials to report Ferrell, Ferrell then struck Lonas.
The report stated that Sachs told officials, once Ferrell realized Lonas was calling staff, Ferrell punched Lonas with his left hand. Sachs was not sure if Ferrell had a weapon or not, but does know that he “socked Lonas pretty good,” the report stated.
Jail officials, at the time noted the video footage of the cell was unable to determine exactly what happened inside.
Records on Ferrell show he was originally in jail for a criminal mischief charge opened in July of 2022 but also had a 2019 case where a plea agreement was reached on domestic battery and criminal mischief charges.
