Published: June 16, 2009 11:38 pm      

Huckelby could get 18 year

Man pleaded guilty to reckless homicide and a meth charge

PERU — Murder suspect Daniel Huckelby could be facing up to 18 years in prison stemming from the 2008 shooting death of 18-year-old Robert Vandergriff of Kokomo.

Huckelby, along with his court-appointed attorneys, Bryan Michaud and Jeffry Price, agreed to plead guilty to reckless homicide, a Class C felony, and conspiracy to deal methamphetamine, a B felony.

Miami County Prosecutor Eric Huneryager agreed to dismiss the murder charge and numerous other charges in exchange for Huckelby’s plea.

Sentencing is set for July 17, with the punishment being left up to the judge. The plea did call for the sentence on the drug charge not to exceed 10 years.

The C felony carries up to an eight-year term.

Indiana State Police and Miami County sheriff deputies found Vandergriff dead Sept. 19, 2008, from a gunshot wound to the chest inside a house at 2625 W. 1050 South in Miami County. Huckelby was in the room of the house at the time of the shooting, according to police.

Huckelby and Vandergriff allegedly were handling the handgun, which discharged a bullet into Vandergriff’s chest. Huckelby fled the scene before police arrived and turned himself into police Sept 21.

When officers searched the residence, they found meth, chemicals to make meth, more than a dozen rifles, shotguns and handguns of numerous caliber as well as ammunition and holsters inside the home, according to police reports. The weapons were identified as belonging to a resident of northern Howard County.

Huckelby faced an additional 19 charges of receiving stolen property, which will be dismissed as part of the plea. Charges of possession of meth, maintaining a common nuisance and possession of chemical re-agents were also dismissed in the plea.

Two other people charged in the shooting and meth find, Tabitha (Bradley) Huckelby and Joyce Grandstaff, will have their charges dismissed as part of Huckelby’s plea.

• Mike Fletcher is the Kokomo Tribune crime reporter. He can be reached at (765) 454-8577 or mike.fletcher@kokomotribune.com.