James L. Herbolt II, a 27-year-old male from Richmond, Indiana, was found deceased on October 6, 2017, after being reported missing by his family on September 29 of that year. He was a 2010 graduate of Centerville High School. An investigation began after Herbolt was last seen on September 26, 2017, driving a red 1999 Honda CRV which was later discovered out of gas.
A tip eventually led law enforcement to a property on North Centerville Road where his body was discovered in a dry creek bed behind a vacant home. The Wayne County Coroner's Office confirmed that Herbolt's death was a homicide caused by gunshot wounds.
The subsequent investigation painted a grim picture of Herbolt's final hours. According to court documents, he was taken to a room in Centerville where he was bound, beaten for several hours, and ultimately shot twice in the head. The investigation revealed he had been hogtied and forced to disclose his bank card PIN. Following his murder, some of his possessions were burned in a fire pit.
In July 2018, authorities made four arrests in connection with the case. Donald L. Bailey Jr., Jacob Lee Rasner, and Jesse Howard Boggs faced charges of murder, robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, criminal confinement while armed with a deadly weapon, and battery by means of a deadly weapon. A fourth individual, William P. Mathews, was charged with assisting a criminal. All four suspects were arraigned in Wayne County Superior Court and held without bond pending further legal proceedings.
