Convicted murderer of IU professor sentenced to 50 years in prison, 5 years probation

Michael Griffin was sentenced to 55 years today for the murder of IU assistant professor Don Belton in December of 2009 by Monroe County Circuit Judge Teresa Harper.

Five of these years will be served on probation after he is released from prison. He will receive credit for the 505 days he has spent in the Monroe County Jail since his arrest.

Under Indiana’s good-time credit law, most prisoners with good behavior are only required to serve half of their prison sentences. Because of this, it is possible that Griffin could serve as little as 25 years in prison, if he abides by the law. Federal rules recommend only taking about 15 percent off of a sentence for well-behaved inmates, according to Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM).

The maximum amount of time Griffin could have faced in prison was 65 years. He will be serving his sentence in the state prison system. The prison in which he will be incarcerated is not yet known.

— Zach Ammerman