On the evening of March 11, 2014, a tragedy occurred at a residence on North Carver Street in Greensburg, Indiana, resulting in the untimely death of 13-year-old Craig Allen Roberts. Craig, an eighth-grade student at Greensburg Junior High School, was at home with his family preparing to attend an academic honors banquet where he was to be recognized for his achievements. While the family was getting ready for the event, Craig’s stepfather, Jason L.
Forshee, was in the living room cleaning a Colt M-4 rifle he had recently purchased.
According to investigators, Forshee left the firearm unattended on a table in the living room for a brief period to speak with Craig's mother in another room. During this time, Craig’s six-year-old half-brother picked up the rifle. The weapon discharged a single round, striking Craig in the chest. Emergency responders were called to the scene immediately, and Craig was transported to Decatur County Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The incident was determined to be accidental, but an investigation was launched into the circumstances regarding the accessibility of the firearm.
Following the investigation by the Greensburg Police Department and the Decatur County Prosecutor’s Office, Jason L. Forshee was arrested and faced serious criminal charges. Authorities initially charged Forshee with Neglect of a Dependent Resulting in Death, a Class A felony, and Dangerous Control of a Child, a Class C felony. The prosecution alleged that Forshee knowingly or intentionally placed the children in a dangerous situation by leaving the rifle unsecured and unattended in their presence.
The legal proceedings concluded with a plea agreement. Forshee pleaded guilty to the charge of Dangerous Control of a Child, a Class C felony, while the more severe neglect charge was dismissed. In 2015, a Decatur Superior Court judge sentenced Forshee to four years of incarceration with six months suspended to probation. Forshee later appealed his sentence, arguing that the court improperly considered his role as a caregiver as an aggravating factor, but the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the sentence in July 2016, upholding the trial court's decision.
