Jeremy Caudill, 42, formerly of Argos, was sentenced on Tuesday in Marshall Superior Court 1 by Judge Robert Bowen. Caudill was convicted after a two-day jury trial conducted on September 28 and 29. Caudill was accused of raping his own daughter in June, 2019 at the Argos residence he shared with his former wife and a roommate.
Chief Deputy Prosecutor Tami Napier and Deputy Prosecutor Nick Langowski presented the case for the State of Indiana. Public Defender Alex Hoover represented Caudill. At the sentencing hearing, the attorneys advocated suggested sentences to Judge Bowen. Napier argued for an aggravated sentence based on Caudill’s violation of a position of trust as the victim’s biological father, his recent battery conviction in Fulton County involving the same victim, his lack of remorse and the extreme trauma and hardship upon the minor victim.
Hoover acknowledged that Caudill maintains his innocence despite the verdicts of guilty to both counts of rape and incest. Chief Deputy Prosecutor Napier argued, “Caudill has absolutely no remorse for raping his daughter. He told several versions of the events to law enforcement, and then testified at trial he had no idea how the forensic experts from the Indiana State Police Laboratory could identify his semen from sexual assault test results. Not only did she immediately report the assault, she followed through on the prosecution and bravely testified in open court. The DNA analysis proved beyond any doubt that what she says happened is the horrendous truth.”
The investigation began in June of 2019 when now retired Officer David Carrell of the Argos Police Department was notified by Deputy Anthony Bragg of the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department of a rape that occurred in Argos. The victim drove to a friend’s house in Culver where police responded after she reported the rape. Biological evidence was collected from the victim at St. Joseph Regional Hospital that was later analyzed by forensic scientists at the Indiana State Police Laboratory. The results of the biological testing confirmed the presence of Caudill’s semen consistent with the victim’s version of events.
In determining the appropriate sentence, Judge Bowen found it to be a weighty aggravating factor that Caudill is the victim’s biological father and was, therefore, in a position of trust with the victim. Further aggravating circumstances were Caudill’s poor conduct in the Marshall County Jail and the lifelong consequences the victim must endure. Judge Bowen found as a mitigating factor that Caudill did not have an extensive criminal history when he imposed an aggravated sentence of fourteen years at the Indiana Department of Correction on Count I Rape, a Level 3 felony, and four years on Count II Incest, a Level 5 felony. Bowen ordered the sentences to run concurrently. In addition, after his release Caudill will be required for the remainder of his life to register as a sex offender.
Napier said “The shame and damage Caudill caused his daughter is immeasurable. She wrote a poignant letter to Judge Bowen that articulated how her father’s victimization emotionally impacted her.”
Prosecuting Attorney Nelson Chipman added, “This was an incredibly horrendous crime. Victims always deserve, let alone victims of such heinous crimes as this, law enforcement’s best efforts to achieve justice and accountability. I applaud the professionalism of retired officer Carrell, Deputy Bragg, the sexual assault nurses and forensic scientists that brought Caudill to justice. And I particularly appreciate the efforts of Chief Deputy Prosecutor Napier and Deputy Prosecutor Nick Langowski to seal the deal.”
