A jury found John Lenig not guilty on two charges in a two-day trial in Starke Circuit Court.
Lenig was facing charges of burglary as a Class C felony and criminal mischief as a misdemeanor. A 12-member jury found Lenig not guilty on both counts in a little over an hour. The verdict came in shortly before 1 p.m. on Thursday.
The trial of John Lenig continues today in Starke Circuit Court.
Lenig has been charged with burglary as a Class C felony and criminal mischief as a misdemeanor charge. The jury was selected yesterday and testimony by the state’s witness and the defense will move forward today.
Three days have been set aside in the court’s calendar for the trial. WKVI News will have the verdict after it is delivered in court.
A Knox man was arrested Sunday, January 29th after he reportedly hit a patch of ice and hit a tree while driving under the influence.
John Lenig told a Starke County Sheriff’s Department officer that he hit a patch of ice on Toto Road near State Road 23 and he hit a tree. After the vehicle hit the tree, it burst into flames. Josh Workman said that he drove upon the accident and saw that the car had hit the tree and was on fire. He saw Lenig out of the car and a female passenger, Amber Sheperd, still trapped in the car. Workman removed her from the wreckage and took her to IU Health Starke Hospital. She was later airlifted to a South Bend hospital for treatment of a broken neck and an internal injury.
