ANDERSON — An Anderson man who has spent nearly 26 years on death row will be retried after court sent the long-appealed case back to Madison County.
Mark Allen Wisehart, 45, was convicted of murder and sentenced to death in 1983 in the killing of Marjorie Johnson in her Anderson home.
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago ruled in 2005 that a jury might have been prejudiced by comments that Wisehart had been offered a polygraph test. The Indiana Attorney General’s office had appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, but justices refused to reconsider reinstating Wisehart’s conviction and sentence.
In May, the case was remanded for a new trial in Madison County, and subsequently was assigned to Superior Court 1 Judge Dennis Carroll.
No court date has been set. Jeff Lockwood and Eric Koselke last month were appointed to defend Wisehart. Koselke filed a sealed request for the court to approve funds to hire an investigator, but the court has not acted on the motion.
Attorneys representing Wisehart and prosecutors could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Wisehart was convicted in Madison Superior Court 3 before Judge Thomas Newman, who still presides.
Along with the capital conviction for murder, Wisehart also was convicted of robbery, burglary and theft. He was accused of breaking into Johnson’s home, beating and stabbing her to death, and taking $14.
Wisehart was living at the Christian Center in Anderson at the time of Johnson’s killing. He is the longest-serving of the 17 prisoners on Indiana’s death row in Michigan City.
Contact Dave Stafford: 648-4250, dave.stafford@heraldbulletin.com
Local News
Man convicted in 1982 slaying to be retried
- Local News
-
-
Once in a lifetime
When it was announced that Indianapolis would host Super Bowl XLVI in 2012, Michelle Brandle and her close friends raced to get online and sign up for a spot to volunteer.
-
Dog alerts owner to house fire
Shelli Hameline figures her dog, McKale, earned a big steak dinner Thursday morning. When the gas furnace in Hameline’s home at 1429 Chester St. caught fire about 5:45 a.m., the 6-year-old German shepherd jumped on the bed where she was asleep and alerted her to the emergency.
-
Super Car on display at Mounds Mall
Residents wanting to be a part of the super celebration have another opportunity to do so by visiting Mounds Mall to get an up-close look at one of 33 NFL franchise-themed Indy cars.
-
A super experience
Ivy Tech student Kavelle Brooks and Anderson High School senior Zach Burkhardt, Super Bowl ambassadors for Anderson Community Schools, have been involved in the planning since eighth grade.
-
Members accuse city union treasurer of stealing
Over $30,000 in dues is missing from a city union, according to two members.
-
Police respond to shooting on 10th Street
Anderson police responded late Friday evening to a reported shooting at a residence on West 10th Street.
-
Leadership Academy graduates class of 2012
Thursday night marked at least two milestones for the Leadership Academy of Madison County.
It marked the 30th graduating class from the academy, and the attendance at the annual graduation dinner at Anderson Country Club set a new record of 167. -
Brady throws NFL, feds curveball
Super Bowl officials ended up with news stories Thursday that led with Super Bowl-bound quarterback Tom Brady admitting he watched last year’s NFL championship game on an illegal website.
-
Arrest log: Feb. 3
Arrests made by Madison County law enforcement on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, based on Madison County Jail records.
-
Fan Dome brings Xbox under the bubble
When it comes to marketing, Microsoft pulled out all the stops for Super Bowl XLVI. Witness the Fan Dome, the inflated bubble containing Xbox 360 Kinect games, plenty of room for players to jump up and down and do their moves, and some pumping music to elevate the experience.
- More Local News Headlines
-
