The retiring director of IPFW’s Community Research Institute received Indiana’s top honor during a surprise party Tuesday at Parkview Field, the university announced.A man was charged Friday with threatening a witness who testified at an attempted murder trial in Allen Superior Court in June.
William Holley, 28, of the 3600 block of Elmcrest Drive, faces a felony count of intimidation. He remains at large.
During the trial, Rovon Wilson testified against Carmell Nelson, a man charged with trying to kill Wilson in April 2011. Nelson was accused of shooting Wilson seven times. Wilson ended up in a wheelchair.
Holley, a friend of Nelson, was in the courtroom when the jury found Nelson guilty. After the verdict was read, Holley looked at Wilson and his cousin, saying, “You’re dead. You’re a dead man” and running his finger across his throat, according to court papers.
Wilson told police he believed Holley might try to kill him for testifying, court papers said.
In July, Nelson was sentenced to 55 years in prison. With Indiana’s good behavior laws, his sentence could potentially be cut in half.
