Witness in Pelfree murder case will be freed this month

Troy Harden will be a free man June 20. He pleaded guilty today to a felony charge of assisting a criminal, for helping Jerry Pelfree put the dead bodies of Everett Shaw and Douglas Brown into barrels.

Harden, 39, waived his right to a trial. He has been behind bars for nearly two years since his arrest. His sentence now is to spend four years on probation, wearing a GPS device. Judge Marc Kellams, who presided over Pelfree's murder trial, handed down Harden's sentence. Kellams said Pelfree';s conviction may not have been possible without Harden's cooperation and testimony.

Pelfree was sentenced in February to 130 years in prison on two murder charges. In his plea agreement, Harden pleaded guilty to four charges: battery, a Class D felony; resisting law enforcement, also a Class D felony; carrying a handgun without a license, a Class C felony; and assisting a criminal, a Class C felony.

The first three charges stem from a June 21, 2007, incident in which Harden punched and ran from Bloomington Police Department officer Jared Oren after Oren tried to pull over Harden, who was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee erratically.

Harden led Oren on a chase, first in the vehicle and then on foot. When Oren caught up with Harden the two struggled, and Harden punched Oren, he admitted today in court. Officers searching the Jeep found a handgun. Harden was on probation for previous crimes at the time of the chase. Harden was in the Monroe County Jail in September 2007 when he told his uncle, Brown County Sheriff Buck Stogsdill, about the murders and helping Pelfree dispose of evidence. He later testified at Pelfree's murder trial.

Harden's attorney, Randall Scott Johns said today that Harden has a history of abusing substances, starting with alcohol and then methamphetamine. Harden provided the ingredients for cooking meth at Pelfree's house, Johns said.

State attorney Jeffrey Kehr said he wished Harden had come forward sooner with information about the murders, but commended him for doing so.

"Everett Shaw and Douglas Brown might still be entombed in those barrels today."

Harden will serve his home detention at his parents' home in Brown County. The home is on the same property as Harden's father's business, Harden Stone Co. Brown County doesn't have GPS capability, Johns noted. Community Corrections officers will check on Harden several times a week, Johns said. "It's hard to tell on yourself, something of that magnitude," Harden said in the courtroom. "After seeing what I've seen, and being through what I've been through, I'm done with drugs."

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Witness in Pelfree murder case will be freed this month