April 2, 2020 at 5:08 p.m.
Pair of murder trials are set
Third woman has pretrial scheduled for next week
Pair of murder trials are set
Trials are set for two of the three women charged with the January murder of a Portland man.
During a pretrial hearing Wednesday morning, Jay Circuit Court Judge Brian Hutchison set June and July trial dates for Esther Stephen and Shelby Hiestand, respectively. They are both charged with the Jan. 12 murder of Shea Briar.
Hannah Knapke, the third woman charged with Briar’s murder, has a pretrial hearing scheduled for April 10.
Hutchison scheduled a four-day jury trial for Stephen, 621 W. Second St., Portland, for June 22 through 25. A four-day trial for Hiestand, 1391 W. 200 North, is set for July 6 through 9.
Stephen and Hiestand were arrested two days after Briar was found in the early morning hours Jan. 12 on a county road 125 West bridge over Loblolly Creek, just south of county road 850 North. Knapke was arrested eight days later.
According to probable cause affidavits filed in Jay Circuit Court, investigators say Stephen, 29, and Hiestand, 18, admitted to plotting to kill Briar because of a custody dispute. Stephen and Briar shared a child.
The affidavits say the three women admitted to the following:
•Stephen and Hiestand picked up a .22-caliber rifle from Hiestand’s home on the night of Jan. 11.
•Stephen and Hiestand met Knapke at Fairview United Methodist Church, 2875 E. 200 South, rural Portland. There, Stephen and Hiestand asked Knapke if they could use her vehicle in order to avoid suspicion. Knapke had no previous connection with Briar.
During a pretrial hearing Wednesday morning, Jay Circuit Court Judge Brian Hutchison set June and July trial dates for Esther Stephen and Shelby Hiestand, respectively. They are both charged with the Jan. 12 murder of Shea Briar.
Hannah Knapke, the third woman charged with Briar’s murder, has a pretrial hearing scheduled for April 10.
Hutchison scheduled a four-day jury trial for Stephen, 621 W. Second St., Portland, for June 22 through 25. A four-day trial for Hiestand, 1391 W. 200 North, is set for July 6 through 9.
Stephen and Hiestand were arrested two days after Briar was found in the early morning hours Jan. 12 on a county road 125 West bridge over Loblolly Creek, just south of county road 850 North. Knapke was arrested eight days later.
According to probable cause affidavits filed in Jay Circuit Court, investigators say Stephen, 29, and Hiestand, 18, admitted to plotting to kill Briar because of a custody dispute. Stephen and Briar shared a child.
The affidavits say the three women admitted to the following:
•Stephen and Hiestand picked up a .22-caliber rifle from Hiestand’s home on the night of Jan. 11.
•Stephen and Hiestand met Knapke at Fairview United Methodist Church, 2875 E. 200 South, rural Portland. There, Stephen and Hiestand asked Knapke if they could use her vehicle in order to avoid suspicion. Knapke had no previous connection with Briar.
•At 12:02 a.m. Jan. 12, Stephen called Briar and asked him to “hang out.” the three women then picked Briar up at his home in Portland and drove to the county road 125 West bridge over Loblolly Creek.
•As everyone exited the vehicle, Stephen distracted Briar to allow Hiestand time to retrieve the rifle. As Stephen and Briar were walking away from the vehicle, Hiestand shot Briar once in the back. Knapke was standing next to Hiestand when the shot was fired.
Briar, 31, was found on the bridge just before 2 a.m. Jan. 12. He was transported first to Adams Memorial Hospital in Decatur and then to Fort Wayne’s Lutheran Hospital, where he died later Jan. 12.
Stephen had served for two seasons as Fort Recovery High School’s softball coach, and Hiestand was an assistant coach. Knapke, 19, played under Stephen during her junior and senior seasons with the Indians.
All three women are being held without bond at Jay County Jail. In Indiana, murder carries a sentence of 45 to 65 years, with an advisory sentence of 55 years.
•As everyone exited the vehicle, Stephen distracted Briar to allow Hiestand time to retrieve the rifle. As Stephen and Briar were walking away from the vehicle, Hiestand shot Briar once in the back. Knapke was standing next to Hiestand when the shot was fired.
Briar, 31, was found on the bridge just before 2 a.m. Jan. 12. He was transported first to Adams Memorial Hospital in Decatur and then to Fort Wayne’s Lutheran Hospital, where he died later Jan. 12.
Stephen had served for two seasons as Fort Recovery High School’s softball coach, and Hiestand was an assistant coach. Knapke, 19, played under Stephen during her junior and senior seasons with the Indians.
All three women are being held without bond at Jay County Jail. In Indiana, murder carries a sentence of 45 to 65 years, with an advisory sentence of 55 years.
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