On the evening of Saturday, September 3, 2022, a violent incident occurred at a residence in the 1100 block of 8th Avenue in Terre Haute, Indiana, resulting in the death of Donald Riley, also referred to as Donald Riley Jr. Reports indicate that witnesses at the scene heard the sound of a motorcycle approaching the home, followed by a conversation or argument in the backyard between Riley and another man. This interaction culminated in a single gunshot.
Emergency responders transported Riley to a local hospital, where he was subsequently pronounced dead from his injuries.
Investigators quickly identified a person of interest in the homicide: Richard Tony Sandlin. Eyewitnesses picked Sandlin out of a photo lineup, establishing him as the primary suspect by the following morning. The Terre Haute Police Department, working in conjunction with the Indiana State Police and the U.S. Marshals Service, launched a multi-day search for Sandlin. Early efforts included a search by a special response team at a home on Lafayette Avenue, though Sandlin was not immediately located at that site.
The manhunt concluded on the night of Wednesday, September 7, 2022, when authorities located and arrested Richard Sandlin in Northern Vigo County near the intersection of Gallagher Road and Rio Grande Avenue. He was taken into custody and booked into the Vigo County Jail on a murder charge. During the subsequent legal proceedings, prosecutors presented evidence that Sandlin had shot Riley following the dispute. Sandlin claimed he acted in self-defense and alleged that Riley had previously committed a sexual battery against a woman he knew, but the court rejected these justifications.
In late 2023, a jury found Richard Sandlin guilty of murder. During the sentencing hearing in December 2023, the judge handed down a 60-year prison sentence. The prosecutor expressed satisfaction with the outcome, noting that given the length of the sentence, Sandlin would likely spend the remainder of his life incarcerated for the execution of Donald Riley.
