On the early morning of August 20, 2016, a violent disturbance shattered the quiet of a residence on Small Street in Salem, Indiana. Inside the home, emergency responders discovered two individuals who had been critically wounded. Joseph Ray Hobson, a 36-year-old male, and his girlfriend, Valerie E. Dicus, were found unresponsive following a call to authorities made just before 1:00 a.m. Despite immediate transport to St.
Vincent Salem Hospital, both victims succumbed to their injuries and were pronounced dead. Autopsies later confirmed that the deaths were the result of homicide; Dicus had sustained a single gunshot wound, while Hobson had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
Investigators from the Indiana State Police and local agencies quickly began piecing together the events leading up to the double homicide. The inquiry pointed toward a relative of Dicus, a local man named Joe Paul Hambel, who had allegedly made comments to others about taking matters into his own hands regarding what he perceived as a drug problem in the community. Witnesses and police reports indicated that Hambel had driven to the Small Street residence in the early hours of the morning, armed with a handgun. He reportedly entered the home and confronted the couple, leading to a struggle over the weapon.
Hambel was located and arrested by Indiana State Police later that same day. During the investigation, it was revealed that he had made incriminating statements, allegedly telling an acquaintance that he had 'taken care of' the county's drug issues. He was subsequently charged with two counts of murder. The prosecution argued that Hambel’s actions were vigilantism disguised as community protection, while the defense claimed the shooting was accidental during a physical altercation.
In November 2017, a jury in Washington Circuit Court found Joe P. Hambel guilty on all counts, including the murders of Hobson and Dicus, as well as criminal trespass. Following the conviction, the judge handed down a substantial sentence to ensure Hambel would remain incarcerated for the rest of his life. He received two consecutive 60-year terms for the murders, along with an additional year for the trespassing charge, totaling a sentence of 121 years in the Indiana Department of Correction.
