Indianapolis murder suspect should have been on home detention, records say

INDIANAPOLIS — A man charged with killing a woman and injuring a man in a shooting in September was supposed to be on home detention but never showed up, according to court documents.

Erik Hale was charged Oct. 5 with murder and other crimes in the death of Pamela Garruto and the shooting of another man on Sept. 11.

According to documents, Hale confessed to his father and wrote of the killing in a journal: "went for my first murder and ended up catching two bodies... My daddy tried to turn me in to face a death sentence."

Hale, records show, should have been placed on home detention and GPS monitoring more than two months before the shootings.

Magistrate James Snyder sentenced Hale on June 22 to two years probation, two years home detention and two years electronic monitoring after he pleaded guilty to being a felon carrying a handgun.

Hale never showed up and was never placed on the GPS or home detention, according to a Marion County Community Corrections violation notice filed Oct. 5.

“(Marion County Community Corrections) was not notified by the courts via the event listing emailing (that) the defendant was instructed to report to MCCC," Community Corrections tracking official Ebony Lewis told the court in the violation notice.

"As of Oct. 4, 2022, defendant has failed to report to MCCC as directed. He is currently not being monitored and his whereabouts are unknown."

The violation notice is dated Oct. 4, which is the same day records show Hale was booked into the Marion County Jail on the murder case.

Superior Court Judge Shatrese Flowers, the presiding judge in Hale's gun case, ordered him held without bond on Oct. 5, records show.

WRTV has asked Judge Flowers and Marion Superior Court administrator for comment.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Hale shot Garruto and a man inside a pickup truck parked near 34th Street and Brouse Avenue on Sept. 11.

Garruto died. The man was wounded by multiple gunshots and survived.

WRTV/Eldon Wheeler

Three days later, Hale went to his father's house and confessed to killing Garruto, according to court documents. Hale's father told police that he tried to convince his son to turn himself in, but the two got into an argument. Hale stole his father's cell phone and left, according to the documents.

Later that day, Hale's father spoke to Hale and told him he didn't want Hale coming around him anymore.

"Erik became agitated and told him that he would kill him too," the affidavit read.

According to the documents, Hale spent time in Switz City, a Green County community about 80 miles southwest of Indianapolis, before being driven back to Indianapolis on Sept. 23.

Back in Indianapolis, documents said Hale stole the truck from the man who gave him the lift.

That truck was later sold to a salvage lot for $300. Inside the truck, authorities found a journal that had several entries with the name "Erik Hale" on them. One entry read: "went for my first murder and ended up Catching two bodies... My Daddy tried to turn me in to face a death sentence."

Police arrested Hale without incident on Oct. 4 outside of a local gas station

When questioned by police, the affidavit says Hale confessed to stealing the truck and stealing his father's phone. He did not say where he was on the night of the shooting but told police he is homeless and travels around a lot.

Prosecutors charged Hale with murder, aggravated battery, criminal recklessness and being a felon carrying a handgun. He remains held in the Marion County Jail.