A 20-year-old Vincennes man has been sentenced to a combined 40 years in prison for two separate shootings that happened just two days apart in July 2024, one of which left 32-year-old James W. Mischler dead at his home. Calvin James Wittmer received two consecutive 20-year terms, one for the fatal shooting and another for a drive-by attack that wounded an adult man among the three adults in a car with two juveniles, one an infant.
Mischler, known locally as Weezy, was shot and killed at his home in the 1300 block of North 14th Street in Vincennes on July 24, 2024, following a daylong dispute with Wittmer, according to WBIW. Wittmer was initially charged with attempted murder in connection with Mischler's death, but negotiated a plea deal down to voluntary manslaughter that Mischler's family approved, as reported by WZDM. As part of that agreement, finalized in Knox Superior Court 1, Wittmer waived all rights to appeal or seek a sentence modification down the line.
Indiana law treats voluntary manslaughter as a Level 2 felony under Indiana Code § 35-42-1-3, carrying a sentencing range of 10 to 30 years with an advisory sentence of 17.5 years when a person knowingly or intentionally kills under sudden heat, according to the Marc Lopez Law Firm. Murder, by contrast, carries a far steeper 45-to-65-year range in the state. That gap helps explain why the reduced charge carried a lower statutory maximum than murder, though Wittmer received 20 years.
Wittmer Surrendered to Police
Wittmer ultimately surrendered to police without further incident, per Shake Broadcasting's WAMW. Investigators recovered a 9mm Glock handgun with an extended magazine hidden under a basement couch.
Wittmer's second 20-year sentence traces back to a shooting two days earlier, on July 22, 2024, at Autumn Ridge Apartments in Vincennes. People arrested in connection with the case were accused of firing shots inside a blue Mazda carrying three adults and two juveniles, including an infant, according to WBIW's original reporting on the case. An adult male passenger was hit in the head and later had surgery in Evansville, the station reported.
Two Co-Defendants Also Faced Charges
Vincennes police arrested two other people in connection with the Autumn Ridge drive-by. Nineteen-year-old Kyvon A. Ahmed was charged with five counts of attempted murder, while 23-year-old Madalyn P. Dennis faced five counts of conspiracy to commit attempted murder for allegedly serving as the getaway driver, according to WRZR. Dennis was located and arrested in nearby Lawrence County, Illinois.
Prosecutors ultimately resolved Wittmer's drive-by case as a criminal recklessness conviction paired with a firearm enhancement. Indiana Code § 35-50-2-11 permits an additional fixed term of 5 to 20 years for a firearm enhancement in specified circumstances, per FindLaw. The non-fatal shooting resulted in an additional 20-year sentence for criminal recklessness and a firearm enhancement.
Prosecutor Says Victim's Family Backed the Deal
Judge Gara Lee presided over the sentencing in Knox Superior Court 1. Mischler's family agreed to the non-appealable plea arrangement, a detail that closes the door on any future sentence modification in the case.
WTHI-TV, which reported the 40-year combined sentence, notes that Indiana State Police arrested Wittmer and two others in July 2024 for firing shots into a vehicle carrying three adults and two juveniles, including an infant, and that Wittmer separately faced accusations of shooting and killing another person on 14th Street. The WTHI-TV report confirms the sentences will run consecutively rather than concurrently.
The resolution of Wittmer's two cases arrives amid a string of serious violent crime prosecutions moving through Knox Superior Court 1. Just days earlier, Hoodline reported on murder and arson charges filed against 37-year-old Shane Michael Carie in the death of 18-year-old Aileese Tucker following a fatal house fire, underscoring how busy the county's violent crime docket has been this year.
