Indiana man convicted as teen seeks sentence reduction

WARSAW, Ind. (AP) — A northern Indiana judge is set to consider a different sentence for a man who was 15 when he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the fatal shooting of his stepfather.

Kosciusko County Judge David Cates will hear Colt Lundy's request for a sentence modification Thursday. Lundy and a friend, Paul Gingerich, 12, shot Philip Danner in his Cromwell home in April 2010, according to authorities.

Both boys pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, and both were sentenced to 25 years. Authorities said the shooting was part of their plan to run away to California or Arizona.

"(Lundy) has continuously served the sentence ordered by this court in the Indiana Department of Correction without adverse incident and with having completed all programs available to him, including obtaining a higher education degree," according to a court filing.

Lundy, now 23, is at the Westville Correctional Center, according to the Department of Correction. He was previously denied a sentence modification in 2016.

The case led child advocates and juvenile-justice groups to push for a change to Indiana's sentencing guidelines.

Gingerich, now 20, was released from prison last year after spending seven years behind bars. He was resentenced under "Paul's Law," a 2013 law named after him that allows juveniles who commit serious crimes to receive alternative sentences.

Gingerich will be under 24-hour electronic monitoring until next year and court supervision until 2020. He'll then begin 10 years of probation.

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Information from: The Journal Gazette, http://www.journalgazette.net

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