A change of plea hearing for the man accused of stabbing and severely injuring an ice skating instructor has again been delayed.
Ryan T. Halligan, 30, is accused of committing a brutal assault on Emaly “Emma” Baxter, 35, outside the Hamilton Center Ice Arena on Oct. 23. Court documents allege the defendant attacked the former professional skater by beating, stabbing and choking her after a car accident in the arena’s parking lot.
Investigators say Halligan admitted being under the influence of methamphetamine and heroin in the hours prior to the early morning attack. A probable cause affidavit states the defendant told police he was attempting to kill her.
Halligan is facing five felonies, attempted murder, a Level 1 felony; aggravated battery, a Level 3 felony; criminal confinement while armed with a deadly weapon, a Level 3 felony; strangulation, a Level 6 felony and auto theft, a Level 6 felony. The Ford Fusion that Halligan was driving that became involved in the crash with Baxter’s vehicle had been reported stolen in Indianapolis, according to court documents.
In addition, two misdemeanor charges — operating a vehicle while intoxicated endangering a person and interference with the reporting of a crime — were also filed against the defendant.
Delays in moving the case forward are the result of a number of factors that include state COVID-19 regulations, the appointment of a new public defender and psychiatric appointments.
On April 23, a motion for competency was filed on Halligan’s behalf that indicates the basis for the defendant’s defense will be that he suffers from a mental disease or deficit. He was ordered to be examined by two court-appointed psychiatrists.
The defendant appeared in person Monday for what was scheduled to be a change of plea hearing before Bartholomew Superior Court 1 Judge James Worton.
But public defender Aaron Edwards said the findings from the second of two psychiatric evaluations had just arrived Friday. Edwards asked for two additional weeks to examine both evaluations before considering a plea agreement with the prosecution.
The change of plea hearing has now been rescheduled for 11 a.m. Aug. 23.
If convicted of all charges, the defendant could face a potential sentencing range of 27 to 79 years in prison, as well as fines of up to $60,000. In addition, the prosecutor’s office has also filed a habitual offender enhancement document in the case, seeking to have Halligan sentenced as a habitual offender if found guilty.
The document alleges the defendant has accumulated at least two prior unrelated felony convictions. Indiana law allows those convicted as a habitual offender to receive an additional fixed term between six to 20 years for Level 1 through Level 4 felonies — or two to six additional years for those convicted of a Level 5 or Level 6 felony.
Meanwhile, a civil lawsuit filed by Halligan against Bartholomew County Sheriff Matt Myers has been assigned to a special judge.
The defendant is claiming that after he was segregated from the jail population on Nov. 20, he was kept in his cell 23 hours a day. He also accuses the sheriff of failing to hold proper hearings before removing him from the jail population, as well as denying Halligan a daily exercise period outside his cell.
He is suing Myers for $75,000 for what he described as cruel and unusual punishment, violations of due process, denying equal protection rights and undertaking an illegal search.
However, online records state Halligan was found guilty of violating three jail regulations that officials say involved physical assaults or confrontations with fellow inmates or staff.
While Decatur Superior Court Judge Matthew Bailey will serve as special judge in the civil suit filed in Bartholomew Superior Court 1, no court dates have been set at this time.
