A 39-year-old Linton man, Brandon Criss, has been charged with murder, arson, and animal cruelty following the death of 64-year-old James "David" Higar. The charges stem from a house fire at a mobile home on 630 D Street SE, where emergency responders discovered Higar’s body along with the body of a dog on Sunday, as FOX 59 reported.
Authorities from the Linton Police Department and Indiana State Police began an investigation after injuries on Higar’s body appeared inconsistent with fire-related trauma. Criss was identified as a suspect after a witness reported seeing him covered in blood and claiming responsibility for Higar’s death, according to WTHI-TV. The witness also described a photo allegedly shown by Criss, depicting Higar deceased and injured. Investigators later found the image in the deleted files on Criss’ phone.
Criss told police that Higar had previously helped him financially. Criss’ girlfriend described Higar as a father figure and said Criss had a history of being sexually abused as a child. She also shared that Criss had expressed anger toward people with a history of child molestation.
In statements reported by FOX 59, Criss allegedly told investigators, "This was a hate crime against David Higar. He’s a child molester, and it was committed as a hate crime. I don’t want to be in state prison. If I am going to prison for the rest of my life, make it federal prison. If this is a hate crime, I’ll be going to federal."
Criss was arrested near the Sunoco Station on A Street NE and remains in custody at the Greene County Jail. His trial is scheduled for December 12, WISH-TV reported. Indiana State Police continue to investigate and have asked anyone with information to come forward.
