In August of 2020, in the small city of Crawfordsville, Indiana, the life of 44-year-old Hope Parks came to a horrific end. The gruesome details of her death would soon emerge, shocking the quiet community. Between August 18th and August 20th, Hope was fatally shot in the back of the head. The events that followed escalated the horror of the crime.
On August 20, 2020, Hope's husband, Michael Dale Parks, walked into the Crawfordsville Police Department to report his wife missing. He claimed they had an argument two days prior, and she had left their home with an unknown person. However, on that same day, a grim discovery was made on a bridge over Sugar Creek, just over three miles from the Parks' residence: Hope's headless body.
This discovery prompted a search of the couple's home on Elm Street. What investigators found was a scene of bloodshed. Dried blood was present in the driveway, garage, on the rear deck, and in the backyard. The most disturbing piece of evidence was found buried in the cellar of their home: Hope Parks' severed head. Neighbors would later report hearing a woman's screams of 'Get off of me! Please let me go,' around the time of the murder.
The investigation quickly centered on Michael Parks, who was 44 years old at the time. Police recovered a. 22 caliber rifle from the home, along with a spent cartridge casing from the yard that matched the weapon. It was also discovered that Michael had used a miter saw in the commission of the crime. Evidence suggested he had used a blue tarp to move his wife's body to the bridge. Inside a safe in the couple's bedroom, police found Hope's cell phone.
Michael Dale Parks was arrested on August 20, 2020, and charged with murder. He initially entered a plea of not guilty. However, he later pleaded guilty to one count of murder. In May of 2022, a Montgomery County judge sentenced Michael Parks, then 46, to 50 years in prison for the murder of his wife.
