After more than a decade, justice has been served in the brutal 2012 murder of retired Indiana farmer Lowell Badger. William Ray Grimes, 48, received a 120-year prison sentence following his conviction for murder, burglary, and conspiracy to commit burglary. The sentencing in Sullivan County marked a significant milestone in a case that long baffled investigators, centered on a deadly home invasion and a mysterious missing safe. The verdict brings a measure of closure to Badger’s family and the rural community that mourned his loss.
Lowell Badger, 85, was found shot to death on the bedroom floor of his Sullivan County home on December 8, 2012. Investigators quickly determined the killing occurred during a burglary between late Friday, December 7, and early Saturday, December 8. His son, Alan, discovered the grim scene. While a 46-inch Sony Bravia television and other electronics were stolen, the disappearance of a heavy John D. Brush and Company safe from the basement became the central enigma, believed to hold the key to the motive behind the elderly farmer’s murder.
Despite extensive searches of local waterways and a substantial reward, the safe remained elusive, and the case went cold for 13 years. Hundreds of tips yielded no arrests, leaving the community grappling with unanswered questions. A significant breakthrough occurred in 2023 when Indiana State Police renewed their focus, assigning dedicated detectives to re-examine evidence and conduct fresh interviews. This renewed effort ultimately led to crucial witness statements that reignited the investigation.
Court documents revealed that on the evening of December 7, 2012, a witness overheard William Ray Grimes, Richard Taft, and another individual discussing plans to break into a house for money. Later that night, other witnesses reported seeing the men return with a flat-screen television. Further testimony indicated Richard Taft, then 39, made admissions about the crime, sometimes claiming another person shot Badger, other times implicating Grimes, and on occasion confessing to pulling the trigger himself, stating the safe was later discarded in a creek.
The renewed investigation culminated in arrests more than a decade after Badger’s death. In April 2024, a grand jury indicted William Ray Grimes, already incarcerated on unrelated charges, for murder, burglary, and conspiracy to commit burglary. Three months later, Richard D. Taft was also charged with murder and two counts of burglary resulting in bodily injury. Taft, serving a sentence for a separate conviction, was arrested at the Michigan City Correctional Facility, with a projected release date of 2031.
During the Sullivan County trial, prosecutors heavily relied on witness testimony, presenting forensic evidence that Badger died from a .22 caliber gunshot wound to the temple. Richard Taft testified for the prosecution, admitting his involvement in the burglary and claiming he witnessed Grimes shoot Badger at point-blank range. The defense challenged Taft’s credibility, citing his inconsistent statements and extensive criminal history, arguing a lack of direct physical evidence linking Grimes to the crime scene.
Following deliberations, the jury returned a guilty verdict against Grimes for murder, burglary, and conspiracy to commit burglary, adding a firearm enhancement. Judge Michael T. Ringer imposed the maximum sentence of 120 years, citing the “heinous nature” of the crime. Grimes maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings and announced his intention to appeal the conviction. The sentencing marked a definitive conclusion to the judicial process for Grimes, though the mystery of the missing safe persists.
Lowell Badger was a highly respected and beloved figure in his Sullivan County community. The retired farmer had raised three children with his late wife, Nellie, and was a devoted member of Kingsley Memorial United Methodist Church since 1960. He also served decades with the Sullivan County Credit Union, the Island Levee Conservancy District, and the Farm Bureau. His son, Alan, expressed gratitude for the community and family’s support, acknowledging the challenging and protracted journey to finally achieve justice for his father.
