NASHVILLE, Ind. (AP) – A judge has rejected a request for a closed hearing on the criminal past of a man accused of killing an Indiana University student.
Brown County Circuit Court Judge Judith Stewart said Monday that she was denying Daniel Messel’s request but will review additional evidence before it is submitted to the case file and discussed at a public hearing.
Messel is charged with murder in the April slaying of 22-year-old IU student Hannah Wilson. Her body was found about 10 miles northwest of IU’s Bloomington campus.
The Herald-Times reports prosecutors want to introduce evidence of Messel’s criminal past, including violence against women, during his June murder trial.
Indiana trial rules bar the admission of a defendant’s criminal record unless prosecutors can prove a pattern or connection to the case at hand.
NASHVILLE, Ind. (AP) – The trial for a Bloomington man charged with murder in the fatal beating of an Indiana University student will not be held until next year at the earliest.
A Brown County judge this week continued the trial of 49-year-old Daniel Messel until Feb. 24.
Messel is charged in connection with the slaying of 22-year-old IU student Hannah Wilson. Her body was found April 24 near Lake Lemon, about 10 miles northwest of IU’s Bloomington campus.
Messel is being held without bond at the Brown County Jail.
NASHVILLE, Ind. (AP) – A judge says she’ll wait until jury selection to decide whether to move the trial of a Bloomington man charged with murder in the fatal beating an Indiana University student.
Brown Circuit Judge Judith Stewart wrote in a ruling Friday that most media coverage of the slaying of 22-year-old Indiana University student Hannah Wilson was outside Brown County, where her body was found April 24 near Lake Lemon, about 10 miles northwest of IU’s Bloomington campus.
The Herald-Times reports Stewart wrote in the ruling that the best way to determine whether jurors in Brown County have been swayed by media coverage is to ask them during jury selection.
No trial date has been set for 49-year-old Daniel Messel. He’s being held at the Brown County Jail without bond.
BLOOMINGTON (WISH) — Family and friends say Hannah Wilson was passionate about raising awareness when it comes to issues within the LGBTQ community.
24-Hour News 8 learned that Hannah had a strong desire for social justice. The psychology major at one point spent a lot of time volunteering on campus, providing help to students during time of need.
It was in the office of the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Student Support Services where Hannah Wilson, 22, made a lasting impression on some people like Doug Bauder.
“I’m remembering that Hannah came in one day a week for a couple of hours and just held court out in our front office,” said Doug Bauder, office coordinator for GLBT Student Support Services.
Bauder has been the office coordinator for many years at Indiana University. He said it was back in the fall semester of 2013 during the Freedom Indiana movement when Hannah asked to volunteer.
“I found it interesting that she was very proud of her sorority connections. We’ve done work with sororities and fraternities over the years, but it’s not the typical sorority student who wanders in here asking to volunteer,” said Bauder.
Bauder said Hannah was genuinely concerned about issues affecting the LGBTQ community, including marriage, adoption, and civil rights.
“She really became in my mind a kind of symbol of so many people of her generation. Similarly the Freedom Indiana movement, which several hundred students were involved in here, was mostly straight students who had gay friends,” said Bauder.
Hannah’s family has asked for any memorial contributions to be made out to one of two places, including the Indiana University GLBT Scholarships Campaign.
“She clearly let her family know this was something she felt about. They’re reaching out to us just added to my sense that Hannah was remarkable,” said Bauder. “I mean, she again cared about college life, but she also has a passion for social justice. She shared that with her family, which again not everyone does.”
Money raised from the campaign will help IU students who have been cut off financially from their family after revealing their sexual orientation or gender identity.
“The added sadness of this being graduation weekend coming up next weekend, she was just on the edge of what I’m guessing would have been a promising career,” said Bauder.
The goal of the GLBT Scholarships Campaign is to raise one million dollars to help students with tuition.
Click here for more information about the campaign or if you would like to help in memory of Hannah Wilson.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — Daniel Messel was recently charged in Hannah Wilson’s death, but he has a criminal background that goes back decades.
His criminal record is all over the spectrum from and ranges from check forgery to battery on both men and women.
In 1988, Messel was accused of cashing stolen checks.
One year later, he was charged with a felony for hitting a woman.
In July of 1991, he hit and kicked a man while intoxicated. A month later, Messel was accused of assaulting another person, this time a woman.
In 1993, Messel violated his probation for drinking.
In 1994, Messel is accused of chasing two men in his vehicle. This resulted in charges of criminal recklessness and leaving the scene of an accident.
In 1995, Messel engaged in a fight with a man and his wife. According to court documents, he punched the man and beat him. When his wife stepped in to assist her husband, Messel attacked her.
He hit her in the face, knocked her to the ground and sat on her while he continued to punch her in the face. Messel then grabbed a two by four, and beat the woman in the head. She suffered a broken nose and a severed artery in her scalp.
In 1996, a judge sentenced Messel to 14 years in prison.
In the case of Hannah Wilson, the coroner said she died of blunt force trauma to the head after being struck multiple times. The coroner said there was no evidence of sexual assault, but police said an explosive temper is a possible motive.
“I think the court documents would support that. But again, that’s something in his past. If prosecutors want to present that forthcoming in trial, or whatever, they’re going to have to do that themselves,” said Sgt. Curt Durnil of the Indiana State Police.
Messel pleaded not guilty. He is behind bars at the Brown County jail without bond. His trial is set for July 22.
FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) — Hannah Wilson is being remembered as a lively, energetic and nice person.
The type of person anyone could get along with.
Her family is preparing for Saturday’s funeral, together
“I can’t imagine doing this alone,” said Dr. Jeff Wilson, Hannah’s father.
The family is grieving by looking through pictures of Hannah, smiling, laughing.
“It starts with me. If I’m down and sad as my other daughter would say depressed, dark and gloomy then everyone else is too. As long as I hold up, everyone else will too,” said Dr. Wilson.
He’s standing up for a daughter who he still talks about in the first person.
“Do I? I guess I do,” he said. “I always will. She’s always here and I said that the other day, even though she’s gone, she’s still with us.”
When asked if he’s had time to grieve, he says he has but remains in a happy place
“Every time I start to go there it clicks right back from ‘oh my god, I can’t believe this happened’ to ‘ok what can we do with this to make it so much greater than anyone as ever imagined.’ Then you turn around to turn this into the most absolute best thing that ever happened. I know it’s hard for people to understand and it is until you go through it,” said Dr. Wilson.
The family also includes a younger sister, Haley. Haley is graduating from high school in a few weeks and she’s following in her big sisters steps, by going to Indiana University.
But despite knowing what happened to her sister, she and her dad say they’re looking forward to the road ahead, and the time at IU.
“It happened to her and it could’ve happened to her in a parking garage, said Haley Wilson. “It could’ve happened anywhere and I don’t think it’s IU’s fault, or her fault and I’m not scared and I’m actually so freaking excited to go to IU,” said Haley.
“I have no problem with her [Haley] going down there. This could happen in a grocery store. If someone want to get you, they’ll get you,” said Dr. Wilson.
Hannah was set to graduate next weekend with a degree in a psychology.
Hannah’s “Celebration of Life” begins at 4 p.m. on Saturday at Fishers High School. It’s open to the public. If you come, the family is asking you wear anything but black.
FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) – Family and friends are preparing to say goodbye to Indiana University senior Hannah Wilson, 22.
According to court documents, Wilson was reported missing by her sorority sisters. Her body was found in rural Brown County last week.
Daniel Messel, 49, has been formally charged with murder.
Indiana University says it will offer a moment of silence in honor of Hannah at this year’s commencement ceremony on May 9.
A university spokesperson says they are working to finalize the details of the private ceremony where Wilson’s family will receive her undergraduate diploma.
Wilson was getting ready to start a new chapter in her life. With graduation right around the corner, her family says she was planning to pursue a career in psychology.
She was passionate about the LGBTQ community and was a member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority.
Plans for her funeral have been finalized Tuesday with services scheduled to take place in the auditorium of Fishers High School on Saturday.
“We were contacted by the funeral home. The family was seeking a larger venue to host the ceremony and the services and it really made perfect sense for us from the standpoint of partnership,” said Beverly Smith, Hamilton Southeastern School District.
Smith says Wilson was well beloved in the community. Wilson graduated from HSE in 2011. The district is expecting a large turnout to celebrate Wilson’s life.
“There will be a lot of memorabilia, a lot of pictures and music,” said Smith. “Things that actually celebrate and commemorate her life so I’m imagining that we will be expecting a large showing.”
Last weekend, thousands of people came out to honor Wilson’s memory at a balloon release in Noblesville and at a vigil in Bloomington.
“We lend support and give anything that we can at this point to serve,” said Smith. “We offer prayers, we offer our thoughts, and it is a very difficult time for the entire community. Our hearts are broken and we certainly stand in solidary with the community and family at this time.”
Wilson’s family spent Tuesday at a private viewing.
If you would like to help with the memorial, the family says contributions can be made to the Indiana University GLBT Alumni Association Emergency Scholarships Campaign or the Indiana University Alzheimer’s Disease Center.
The Hannah Wilson Memorial Fund raised more than $24,000 as of Tuesday night. Donations will help to pay for Wilson’s younger sister Hayley’s first year tuition at IU.
Any additional details regarding community services for Hannah Wilson will be posted here.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — It’s been a disturbing and unsettling feeling for family and friends of Daniel Messel since news of his arrest and murder allegations.
His coworker told investigators they were at a bar in downtown Bloomington playing trivia last Thursday night.
But when Messel didn’t show up to work Friday morning, his coworkers knew something wasn’t right.
Messel has worked at Fine Print for the past eight years. The store is less than two miles away from the Indiana University Bloomington campus.
Messel’s manager was too shaken up to talk on camera, but told 24-Hour News 8 by phone that he had no idea about Messel’s past history. He just knew that the 49-year-old man was always on time, a hard worker, and did great work.
Messel even represented the company last year at the Vital Quiz Bowl, where he and three other team members played trivia to raise money for the adult literacy program at the Monroe County Public Library.
Some people living in Messel’s quiet Bloomington neighborhood were at a loss for words Monday evening.
“You never think it’s going to be your neighbor,” said a neighbor who didn’t want to be identified.
The neighbor who didn’t want to be identified lived down the street and saw the commotion up the road last week. She didn’t think it would end like this.
“I don’t know what all the other neighbors think, we haven’t been out talking about it, but I mean what do you say to that?” she said.
Messel is now charged with murder for the death of Hannah Wilson. The senior was just two weeks shy of graduating from IU.
“It’s just shocking,” said neighbor. “Makes you want to lock the doors.”
24-Hour News 8 did some digging and found that Messel has a lengthy criminal record. He most recently spent time in prison after pleading guilty in 1996 to charges including battery with a deadly weapon.
FISHERS, Ind (WISH) — From Indiana University to her Gamma Phi Beta sorority to Hamilton County, the murder of 22-year-old Hannah Wilson has had a devastating effect on the communities she left behind.
Wilson was a 2011 graduate of Hamilton Southeastern High School. She was a member of the varsity basketball cheer squad. Her coach, Erika Kline, is still trying to process what happened.
“Shocked. Kind of numb feeling. Couldn’t believe that it happened to Hannah. Hannah was a sweet girl and you hear about these things that happen all the time. But you don’t expect it to happen to someone you know,” said Kline.
Kline said she referred to Wilson as the “baby” of the squad.
“The joke was she was the baby of the team, and the problem was she never lost that title even as a senior at IU. I would talk to her mom and refer to her as ‘she’s my baby, she’s my freshman, my Hannah.’ We had that special bond knowing she was my first freshman,” said Kline.
Along with being on the HSE squad, Wilson also cheered on the Indiana Elite competition team.
“A light around that just made everyone want to be better and brighter. Cheerleading is naturally something that came so natural to her,” said Kline.
Kline learned of Wilson’s brutal murder on Friday evening, not even a day after she was killed.
“I’ve tried not to read any of it. I’ve tried to focus on what I know about Hannah and her as a person,” said Kline.
A smiling, positive young woman filled with laughter is how Kline described the former cheerleader.
“Hannah’s loss is going to be felt for a long time. I know she’s that girl that you want to know and that you want to coach and I think that’s obvious. We’re going to miss her,” said Kline.
Wilson was set to graduate from IU in two weeks with a degree in psychology. HSE tweeted “Our heart breaks at the loss of @HSESchools alum Hannah Wilson. Our thoughts & prayers go out to her loved ones and entire school community.
IU had this to say in a statement:
Her loss disorders the moral universe and breaks the heart of our community. We join with all of Indiana University in sending our deepest and most profound sympathy to her family. Our thoughts are also with the many IU students, staff, and faculty who loved and taught Hannah, and who join in mourning her.
Hannah was a gifted student, who two weeks from now would have been graduating with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, which she hoped to use in service to others. She brought great light to our community, and her strong and continuing impact is clear from the outpouring of grief during the past few days.
Our campus has joined together to honor her memory in gatherings, large and small, since the moment of the tragic news of her death. Our deep bonds as a community are evident in the many ways we have determined to honor Hannah by showing each other strong support and kindness in the wake of this horrible loss.
It is difficult, and perhaps impossible, to understand a loss like this. But we will continue to stand together as a community and support each other during this difficult time. If you or a friend feels overwhelmed with distress, we urge you to see a counselor during the day at IU Health Center on the 4th floor. After hours, the crisis phone service is available, free of charge, at 812.855.5711.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — Police in Bloomington want to assure the public that they are continuing to look into the Lauren Spierer case following the death of another Indiana University student.
On Monday afternoon, the Bloomington Police Department stated that they are aware of speculation by the public following Hannah Wilson’s death.
BPD said that the arrest of 49-year-old Daniel Messel has provided “an avenue of investigation into Lauren Spierer’s disappearance that will be diligently pursued and, in fact, that investigation has already begun.”
Officials with the Bloomington Police Department said that BPD will work with Indiana State Police to determine any similarities between the two cases.
BPD said that there is no timeline for how long this inquiry may take and that their long-standing position of not providing specific details in the Spierer case will continue.