Possible release dates for three of the Elkhart Four

The Indiana Department of Corrections announced the earliest possible release dates for the three Elkhart men whose murder convictions were overturned.

The Indiana Department of Corrections says:

• Levi Sparks' earliest possible release date is April 8, 2017.*
• Blake Layman's earliest possible release date is October 3, 2017.
• Anthony Sharp's earliest possible release date is May 13, 2018. Sparks did not receive as much good time credit as the other two.

Doug Garrison with the Indiana Department of Corrections says the defendants could be released even earlier than these dates. These dates do not take into account their good time credit or program completion credits. Once those credits are calculated and applied, Sparks and Layman could get out in early 2017.

Their murder convictions were overturned in September 2015 by the Indiana Court of Appeals.

The appeals court found them guilty of burglary and they were sentenced on January 7, 2016 in Elkhart County.

Sharp and Layman were sentenced to 10 years in prison for the burglary charge.

Sparks was sentenced to 9 years in prison for the burglary charge.

The fourth defendant, Jose Quiroz, pleaded guilty and his murder conviction was not affected by the appeals court decision. He is seeking post-conviction relief.

* The Indiana Department of Corrections told ABC57 in an email on January 19 that Levi Sparks' earliest possible release date was October 8, 2017. The IDOC sent an email on January 20th stating there was a typo in the sentence calculation for Levi Sparks and his earliest possible release date is actually April 8, 2017.