Judge sets bail for suspects in Lake Griffy stabbing incident

Four Bloomington residents involved in a stabbing near Lake Griffy appeared in court Tuesday for bond review. \nThe Bloomington Police Department arrested Amy Boyce, Katharine Lewis, Brandon Sloan and Jessica Stanger Sept. 17, the night the incident occurred. \nBoyce, 29, faces Class A felony charges for attempted murder, 18-year-old Sloan faces a Class C felony for battery causing serious bodily injury, and both Lewis and Stanger are charged with Class C felonies for conspiracy to commit battery and cause serious bodily injury.\nMonroe County Judge Kenneth Todd set Boyce's surety bail at $55,000, Lewis' and Sloan's surety bails at $10,000 each and Stanger's surety bail at $5,000 with parental supervision. \nA surety bail allows the accused to pay a professional bail bondsman one-tenth of the total bail. The bondsman then ensures the court will collect the amount in full if the accused does not return for his or her next court date. \nBoyce's attorney was unable to negotiate a lower bail for his client, despite the grounds of a purported mental disorder for which she claimed she was not currently medicated.\nLewis, Sloan and Stanger all had parents approach the bench during their reviews. \nLewis' mother, Lonnie Lewis, answered Prosecutor Carl Salzmann's questions regarding why her daughter was currently unemployed and if Lewis had a previous record of offenses. \n"She has disabilities that make it difficult for her to get and hold down a job," Lewis' mother said. "She (also) has a charge in Martinsville for a misdemeanor." \nSalzmann argued those were reasons to increase the bond, not excuse her from it. \n"Her outstanding charge in Morgan County makes her a flight risk," Salzmann said. "She's a danger to the community ... She understands what conspiracy is all about." \nSloan's father, Michael Garrison, tried to obtain custody of his son while he awaits trial. \n"If he's able to go back to school, that's what I want for him," Garrison said. "He wants to graduate. This is his senior year." \nIn the last four months, Sloan moved from his mother's house to his girlfriend's house. Because Sloan's mother moved to Noblesville, Ind., Garrison said he assumed his son went with her. \n"He hasn't been in contact with his son in the last four months," Salzmann said, "and (Sloan) hasn't been taking his medicine for bipolar disorder since July. He has a health problem which could be a danger to the community. \n"Three out of the four of them claim some sort of a mental illness or disability," Salzmann added after the reviews, "but we haven't gotten to that yet." \nStanger will be going home while she awaits her next court appearance. Rick Stanger, the defendant's father, said his daughter will finish her general education degree while she lives at home. \nJudge Todd scheduled all four defendants to return to court for pre-trial conferences Nov. 10. \nOn Sept. 17, Boyce, Lewis, Sloan, Stanger and a 36-year-old Bloomington man engaged in a hostile dispute at People's Park, according to police documents. BPD Sgt. David Drake said the victim allegedly incited the confrontation by making offensive comments about the suspects' deceased friend. \nPolice said the victim traveled with the suspects to Lake Griffy without being coerced. According to the police reports, Sloan, Lewis and Stanger intended to hurt the victim but not stab him. Boyce was responsible for the stabbing, police said. \nAfter the suspects fled, the victim dialed 911 from a boathouse. \nBPD found Boyce, Lewis, Sloan and Stanger at Bloomington Hospital, where Boyce and Sloan were treated for injuries they sustained from the fight. \nBoyce admitted stabbing the victim during an interview with police that same night, according to reports. \nPolice said the victim suffered two stab wounds, partially collapsing a lung. Bloomington Hospital admitted the victim Sept. 17 as a critical care patient.