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 Post subject: Re: Crown Point man stabbed to death on courthouse square
PostPosted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 8:01 pm 
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Anxiety believed cause of Crown Point murder defendant's collapse

By Susan Brown susan.brown@nwi.com, (219) 662-5325 | Posted: Wednesday, January 18, 2012 6:45 pm | (31) Comments


CROWN POINT | Authorities say anxiety felled 22-year-old Jeffrey Nemcek during an otherwise routine initial court hearing Wednesday.

Nemcek, of Crown Point, is charged with murder and voluntary manslaughter in the fatal stabbing of 26-year-old Brandon Huseman, also of Crown Point, on Thanksgiving Day.

Court documents state Huseman was among a number of people with whom Nemcek engaged in an altercation in the early morning hours on the courthouse square.

Tall, lanky and shaggy-haired, Nemcek appeared pale and lethargic Wednesday even before suddenly sagging against a fellow inmate. A security guard quickly approached to help ease Nemcek to the floor of the courtroom in the Lake County Jail.

Lake Criminal Court Magistrate Kathleen Sullivan briefly delayed proceedings to allow Nemcek to be treated by medical personnel. He participated in the rest of the hearing seated on the floor. A wheelchair stood ready to later remove him from the courtroom.

Despite the incident, Sullivan entered a preliminary plea of not guilty for Nemcek, who is represented by attorney Kevin Milner, and set Nemcek's next appearance in court for March 16.

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 Post subject: Re: Crown Point man stabbed to death on courthouse square
PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2012 10:53 am 
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Jury selected in murder trial of Crown Point man
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Crown Point stabbing suspect

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Jeffrey Nemcek, 23, of Crown Point

17 hours ago • By Susan Brown susan.brown@nwi.com (219) 662-5325
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CROWN POINT | Family and friends kept vigil Monday, overflowing the courtroom of Lake Criminal Court Judge Thomas Stefaniak Jr., as jurors were chosen for the murder trial of 23-year-old Jeffrey Nemcek, of Crown Point.

Nemcek was charged in January with the stabbing death of 26-year-old Brandon Huseman, also of Crown Point, in the early morning hours of last Thanksgiving Day.

A nearly full day of pretrial motions and jury selection climaxed about 5:15 p.m. Monday in Crown Point with opening statements expected Tuesday morning.

Nemcek's arrest came at the conclusion of a nearly two-month police investigation.

He is charged with murder, voluntary manslaughter along with a misdemeanor charge of possession of a switchblade knife.

Huseman was stabbed about 1:45 a.m., Nov. 24, while walking in downtown Crown Point with six friends and relatives. He died later that morning.

The stabbing occurred during an altercation between Nemcek and someone in the group accompanying Huseman, none of whom was armed, police said.

Witnesses reported Huseman as trying to make peace when he was felled.

"I think I just got stabbed," Huseman said as he lifted his shirt, according to witnesses.

Police found Huseman lying on the sidewalk wounded in the abdomen and surrounded by members of his group.

Police said they located Nemcek a short time later about a mile away. His hands, pants and shirt were bloodied and one eye bruised.

Nemcek's jacket was found behind a Dumpster, and a knife matching a description provided police was found at a construction site at Main Street and Robinson Court.

His defense attorney is expected to present a case of self-defense.

"This young man was defending himself, nothing more," Nemcek's attorney, Kevin Milner, said at the time of his client's arrest.

_________________
“At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child — miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied, demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless. Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats.”
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 Post subject: Re: Crown Point man stabbed to death on courthouse square
PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2012 10:35 am 
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Defense disputes events leading to Thanksgiving Day slaying of Crown Point man


CROWN POINT | A Lake County deputy prosecutor opened the murder case Tuesday against 23-year-old Jeffrey Nemcek by speaking about the dangers of carrying a switchblade on the "biggest drinking night of the year."

Nemcek, of Crown Point, is accused of fatally stabbing Brandon Huseman, 26, also of Crown Point, in the early morning hours of Thanksgiving Day during an altercation on the courthouse square.

Deputy Prosecutor Jamise Perkins said Huseman and his wife, Kristin Huseman, were among a half-dozen relatives and friends who gathered the night before the holiday, stopping later that night at three downtown bars before encountering Nemcek about 1:30 a.m. on Court Street.

Perkins said an altercation ensued after words were exchanged between the group and Nemcek, ending with Nemcek stabbing Huseman — despite Huseman attempting to call a halt to the fight.

Perkins urged jurors to find Nemcek guilty of murder and possession of a switchblade.

But defense attorney Kevin Milner told jurors the only thing Nemcek was guilty of was carrying a switchblade. It was one of a number of knives Nemcek, an avid fisherman, used for his hobby, Milner argued.

"He's guilty of that," Milner said.

Nemcek had spent most of the night before the holiday at home with his girlfriend before being called out by a friend, Milner said.

Milner said Nemcek was not intoxicated when meeting up with Huseman's group, two of whom Huseman's wife later described in a deposition as rushing Nemcek with one "clotheslining" him.

Milner argued Nemcek was only defending himself.

_________________
“At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child — miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied, demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless. Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats.”
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 Post subject: Re: Crown Point man stabbed to death on courthouse square
PostPosted: Sat Aug 25, 2012 11:28 am 
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Key witness in C.P. stabbing testifies to punching Nemcek

CROWN POINT | One of two men alleged to have struck 23-year-old Jeffrey Nemcek the day Nemcek stabbed a Crown Point man on the courthouse square admitted to punching Nemcek during the altercation.

Nemcek, also of Crown Point, is on trial for murder in the Thanksgiving Day stabbing of Brandon Huseman, 26.

During two hours of testimony Friday, Anthony Kuhns said he punched Nemcek once in the face as Nemcek walked toward him after Nemcek got up from being knocked into the street by Steven Egan.

Kuhns and Egan were among a party of six people who were walking on Court Street early Thanksgiving Day after a night out when encountered by Nemcek.

Earlier witnesses testified that Nemcek said it looked like the group needed a designated driver, which drew retorts from the group.

The exchange degenerated rapidly, with Kuhns testifying he did not see Huseman, the slightest of the three men in the party, holding up his arms saying, "Guys, guys, we're not going to do this."

Nor did he see Egan throwing Nemcek to the ground and into the street with such force that Nemcek lost a shoe, Kuhns testified.

Kuhns disputed previous witness testimony alleging one of the women attempted to pull him back from the altercation by yanking his arm.

Kuhns described a calmer scene, testifying the woman took his arm saying, "Let's get out of here."

Defense attorney Kevin Milner sought to discredit Kuhns' recollections of the events, questioning how he failed to notice details of events happening within feet of him.

When Milner questioned his drinking, Kuhns admitted to drinking for five or six hours with little to eat before the altercation with Nemcek at 1:35 a.m.

Apprehended within 15 minutes of the altercation but not charged for two months, Nemcek is alleged not to have been intoxicated at the time of the incident.

The trial is expected to continue Monday in Lake Criminal Court.

_________________
“At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child — miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied, demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless. Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats.”
P.J. O'Rourke


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 Post subject: Re: Crown Point man stabbed to death on courthouse square
PostPosted: Tue Aug 28, 2012 10:23 am 
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Defense witnesses: Nemcek not drunk, 'not looking for a fight'

CROWN POINT | With the state resting its case Monday in the Jeffrey Nemcek murder trial, the defense sought to establish Nemcek wasn't drunk or looking for a fight after leaving a courthouse square bar the night he stabbed a Crown Point man.

Nemcek, 23, also of Crown Point, is on trial for the slaying of 26-year-old Brandon Huseman in the early morning hours of Thanksgiving Day.

Day six of the trial finished with jurors viewing a videotaped statement by Nemcek to police the day after the stabbing.

In the tape, Nemcek, who will not testify at his trial, tells police remarks were exchanged between himself and Huseman's party before Huseman was stabbed and he was hit in the eye and thrown to the ground.

"I didn't mean to kill anybody," Nemcek told police, admitting he stabbed someone in trying to get away.

Earlier, Nemcek's girlfriend testified Nemcek didn't leave her home to join friends until about 11:30 p.m., agreeing to return by 1:30 a.m. When he called home at 1:30 to ask if he could stay out another half-hour, the woman said Nemcek didn't sound drunk, confused, upset or in a bad mood.

The next morning when she next saw Nemcek, the woman described Nemcek as having a black eye.

A bartender, who testified she likely last saw Nemcek about midnight or 12:30 a.m., testified she served him three beers and he did not seem intoxicated or looking for trouble.

"He looked fine to me," she said.

In the aftermath of the stabbing, Nemcek called his brother within minutes of the encounter.

With jurors not present, Nemcek's brother described him as crying and scared, saying he had to stab someone after being "jumped on" by more than one person.

Nemcek also called a longtime friend who he had joined earlier at a bar.

Nemcek sounded panicked and scared and was talking fast, the friend told jurors.

Nemcek at the time believed he had stabbed one or two of a group of people with whom he had had words after being being "jumped," according to testimony.

Closing statements are expected Tuesday before the case goes to jurors.

_________________
“At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child — miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied, demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless. Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats.”
P.J. O'Rourke


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 Post subject: Re: Crown Point man stabbed to death on courthouse square
PostPosted: Wed Aug 29, 2012 10:29 am 
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Nemcek guilty of reckless homicide in C.P. slaying

A Lake Criminal Court jury on Tuesday found a 23-year-old Crown Point man guilty of reckless homicide in a Thanksgiving Day slaying on the Crown Point square.

The seven-man, five-woman jury deliberated late into the night before convicting Jeffrey Nemcek in the stabbing of another Crown Point man, 26-year-old Brandon Huseman.

The reckless homicide conviction carries a sentence of probation to eight years in prison, said Kevin Milner, Nemcek's defense attorney.

Nemcek also was convicted of possession of a switchblade knife, a misdemeanor that carries a possible sentence of one year.

Milner said he was pleased with the verdict.

"He was found guilty of a lesser offense," Milner said. "The jury did the right thing. Justice was done."

Milner said he was aware many people were unhappy about the outcome.

Nemcek dodged murder and voluntary manslaughter convictions. Murder carries a possible sentence of 40 to 65 years, and voluntary manslaughter is 20 to 50 years.

Milner said the judge set sentencing for the end of September.

Lake County First Assistant Prosecutor Peter Villareal had no comment on the verdict Tuesday night.

Huseman was among a group of as many as eight people who were walking south on Court Street on the courthouse square in Crown Point when they encountered Nemcek about 1:35 a.m.

Nemcek was apprehended within 15 minutes of Huseman's stabbing but not charged until January.

Jurors were to determine how Huseman was mortally wounded after an altercation between Huseman's party and Nemcek.

Seven days of trial presented conflicting versions of the encounter. Deputy prosecuting attorneys Jamise Perkins and Monica Rogina sought to convince jurors that Nemcek alone was the aggressor, choosing to stab Huseman because he was the smallest of the three men with whom he had had a verbal exchange.

"He was carrying an illegal weapon," Rogina told jurors during closing arguments Tuesday.

Nemcek confronted the group and plunged a knife into Huseman, she said.

Testimony indicated the group had been drinking since about 7 p.m., but prosecutors argued the drinking did not meet the standard of legal intoxication.

Milner sought to persuade jurors that Nemcek stabbed Huseman in self-defense while under attack by the men, who had been made aggressive by their drinking.

"No one would stab someone like this for no reason," Milner told jurors.

It happened during a struggle, he said.

_________________
“At the core of liberalism is the spoiled child — miserable, as all spoiled children are, unsatisfied, demanding, ill-disciplined, despotic and useless. Liberalism is a philosophy of sniveling brats.”
P.J. O'Rourke


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