St. Joseph County

Pratcher gets 65 years after pleading guilty but mentally ill to 2023 South Bend murder

By: Tim Mosier
Posted: Feb 14, 2025 1:24 PM EDT
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SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- On Jan. 13, 35-year-old Derick Pratcher of Elkhart, pled guilty but mentally ill in the March 2023 murder of 63-year-old South Bend man Robert Pulliam Jr. On Feb.14, he was sentenced to 65 years in prison for the murder. 

On March 7, 2023, Pratcher was charge with:

  • Count 1: Murder; a Felony
  • Count 2: Unlawful Carrying of a Handgun; a Class A Misdemeanor
  • Count 3: Unlawful Carrying of a Handgun: a Level 5 Felony

Both charges of Unlawful Carrying of a Handgun were dismissed. 



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