David Campbell was sentenced in Starke Circuit Court Monday, November 18 to 100 years in the Department of Corrections after a trial in which a 12-member jury convicted him on charges related to a brutal home invasion incident in Hamlet August 3.
Campbell, 40, was found guilty on charges related to his action of entering the home of Hank and Connie Bailey on August 3 and battering them both with serious head trauma as he wanted to take cash out of a safe. Connie Bailey died of injuries sustained in the incident on August 16.
Campbell was convicted of 14 counts after a four-day jury trial that ended October 18. Those charges included murder, two Level 1 Felony counts of burglary, two Level 2 Felony counts of burglary, two Level 3 Felony counts of burglary, two Level 3 Felony counts of aggravated battery, one Level 4 Felony count of burglary, two Level 5 Felony counts of battery resulting in serious bodily injury, and two Class A Misdemeanor counts of battery resulting in bodily injury.
Both Starke County Prosecuting Attorney Leslie Baker and Defense Attorney Alex Hoover came to an agreement that while Campbell was found guilty on 14 charges, judgment should be entered on the count of murder and a count of burglary as a Level 1 Felony as the others would fall under the double jeopardy rule. Circuit Court Judge Kim Hall accepted that as an agreement by all parties.
Baker argued to the court that Hank and Connie Bailey were sleeping in their home in Hamlet when David Campbell entered their home wearing a mask and in possession of pepper spray and a knife with a plan to incapacitate them and steal from them. She said the worst nightmare came true where they both were badly injured in the attack which resulted in the death of Connie Bailey. Baker recommended 60 years in the Department of Corrections on the charge of murder and 30 years on the burglary charge. She asked that both counts run consecutively in the DOC.
Hoover said Campbell maintains his innocence and asked for the court’s discretion on the sentence, but that the counts be served concurrently, or at the same time.
There were no victim impact statements and Campbell chose not to address the court.
Judge Hall commented that he reviewed the evidence of the trial and the pre-sentence investigation report. He noted that an aggravating factor was Campbell’s lengthy criminal history which began as a juvenile and has continued through his adult life. Another aggravating factor was the fact that he inflicted this brutality on victims over the age of 65 who were asleep at home and that violence was taken to the extreme. The judge indicated that extra time on his sentence could be added for that. Campbell had also cut the electric service to the house. He said Campbell had a well thought out plan as he had the knowledge of what he could get due to a prior relationship with a daughter and that he and Connie didn’t get along. Judge Hall noted that Connie suffered for 13 days after the attack before she passed away from her injuries.
As for mitigating factors, or factors in Campbell’s favor, Judge Hall said there were none. He stated that while Campbell completed several substance abuse programs while incarcerated over the years, what he learned was not applied when he was not incarcerated.
Judge Hall then sentenced Campbell to the maximum sentence of 65 years on the count of murder and 35 years on the count of burglary. The sentences will run consecutively for a total of 100 years to be served in the Indiana Department of Corrections with no part of the sentence suspended. Campbell will receive credit time for the time he has served on this offense since his arrest August 5.
Attorney Hoover said Campbell plans to appeal the sentence. Judge Hall agreed to appoint Campbell an attorney to guide him through the appeal process.
