Daniel Messel, 49, who is charged in the murder of IU senior Hannah Wilson, has a criminal history spanning decades.
Since the 1980s, Messel has been arrested on counts of battery, confinement, driving under the influence, battery with a deadly weapon, criminal mischief, resisting law enforcement and disorderly conduct.
Messel was charged with several counts of battery, among other charges, in 1986 for hitting Michelle Day, his then 16-year-old girlfriend.
In March 1992, Messel was sentenced to a year’s incarceration for battery. By then he already had a history of battery and like offenses, according to court documents.
As part of his time in incarceration, Messel was able to seek treatment at Madison State Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Madison, Ind., for anger management problems. There he underwent counseling for both anger control and alcohol abuse.
On completion of his treatment in the Scalo Center Program at Madison State Hospital, Substance Abuse Counselor Alice Fitzgerald wrote a progress report to Edwin Applegate in which she recommended community service instead of incarceration for the rest of Messel’s sentence.
“Mr. Messel has done well in the Scalo Center Program here and has complied with all program requirements. He has been abstinent since entering treatment on June 16, 1992,” the letter from Aug. 7, 1992, read. “All weekly urine drug screens have been negative. He attended A.A. meetings regularly. He gets along well with peers. Moreover, Mr. Messel worked on anger and control issues while being treated. He has recognized some of the antecedents to his anger and is devising means to cope more effectively.
“I feel concerned about Mr. Messel’s anticipated return to jail. He needs to be able to go to A.A. and N.A. meetings. I recommend community service work for him instead of incarceration.”
Social Service Department Director Jack L. Rivers, ACSW, also signed off on the letter.
Later in August, Messel wrote a letter to Judge Bridges, asking for an early release because of the program he completed and on the condition he would enroll in Ivy Tech Community College classes.
Most of the letter is not readable due to poor copy quality.
“... record is horrible and I am very ashamed of that,” Messel wrote. “I know that I am a better person than that record indicates.”
In 1996, he was charged with one count of battery with a deadly weapon, two counts of battery and one count of ?intimidation.
The incident that landed Messel an eight-year sentence took place in August 1995 on West Ninth Street, according to court documents.
For unknown reasons, Messel began beating Wayne Thompson, punching him in the face. When Wayne’s wife, Debbie Thompson, stepped in to try to stop the beating, Messel turned and hit her in the face, knocking her down, sitting on her and continuing to punch her, breaking her nose, according to court documents.
Messel then got up from Debbie, walked outside and grabbed a wooden two-by-four, and returned to hit her on the head with it, severing an artery on her scalp.
He was sentenced to eight years, but served only three. While serving his sentence, a civil lawsuit was filed against Messel by Richard Hoff and his family.
The lawsuit pertained to an incident in May 1994. Messel was driving at night with no headlights and with alcohol in his system. He hit the Hoff family in its car on Bloomfield Road, injuring Richard and Donna Hoff and their two children.
The Hoffs filed a civil suit against Messel for “pain and suffering” caused by the ?accident.
For more coverage of ?Messel’s criminal past, check back on idsnews.com.
