In the early hours of a February morning in Oakland City, Indiana, a dispute that began over a motel room escalated into a fatal encounter. Steven J. Hess, the 48-year-old male manager of the Diplomat Motel, was shot and killed on February 7, 2018. The incident unfolded in the parking lot of the motel, cutting short the life of a man known in his community.
The conflict started the previous night with complaints of noise coming from a room at the motel.
By the next morning, Hess had decided to evict the tenants. An argument ensued when 21-year-old Anthony Christian Hoskins and another individual from the room went to the office to discuss the eviction. The verbal altercation moved outside, where it turned deadly. Hoskins, who had a handgun, fired the weapon, striking Hess. Hoskins himself made the 911 call to report that he had shot someone.
Following the shooting, Anthony Christian Hoskins of Oakland City was arrested and initially charged with voluntary manslaughter. The charge was later upgraded to murder. During the investigation and subsequent trial, Hoskins claimed he acted in self-defense, alleging that Hess had a baseball bat and had threatened him. This claim became a central point of his defense. Surveillance video from the motel captured the incident.
In September 2018, the case against Hoskins went to trial in Gibson Superior Court. After two days of testimony, the jury deliberated for over four hours. They ultimately acquitted Hoskins of the murder charge, accepting the argument that he had acted in self-defense. The verdict was met with emotional reactions from the family and friends of Steven Hess who were present in the courtroom.
