Bio

Gregory Van Cleave was born on June 1, 1962. He grew up in a challenging environment. His early life in Marion County, Indiana, had many difficulties. Not much is known about his family life, but it was often described as troubled. This bad home life had a significant impact on him as a child and teenager.

As a young man, Gregory faced problems at school. He struggled with relationships and often felt isolated. He had a hard time fitting in with other kids. Those issues contributed to his sense of frustration and anger. As he grew older, he turned to alcohol and drugs to cope with his feelings.

At some point, Gregory attempted to join the military. He served in the Army but later had a failed stint and received an honorable discharge. After leaving the Army, he found it difficult to get a job. This added to his frustration and feelings of hopelessness.

By the time he was in his twenties, those early struggles had taken a toll on his life. Gregory was often seen hanging out with friends who also used drugs and alcohol. This lifestyle led him down a path that would change his life forever.

Murder Story

On October 19, 1982, Gregory Van Cleave committed murder in Marion County, Indiana. His victim was 41-year-old Robert Falkner. Falkner was outside his home working on a window while watching the World Series on television. While he was doing this, Van Cleave and his friends were driving around, using alcohol and marijuana, looking for someone to rob.

Van Cleave and another person, Sims, got out of the car. Van Cleave was carrying a shotgun. When they confronted Falkner, a neighbor heard Falkner say something in response to Van Cleave. Then, Van Cleave shot Falkner in the chest and fled the scene.

Van Cleave later admitted to shooting Falkner but claimed that it was an accident, saying that "the gun just went off." Witnesses and ballistics experts noted that the shot was fired from a distance of six to eight feet.

Van Cleave was charged with murder and entered a plea of guilty to felony-murder. As part of a plea agreement, the charge of conspiracy to commit robbery was dismissed. The agreement allowed for arguments about a possible death sentence, but resulted in a standard penalty of 60 years in prison if the death sentence was not imposed.

On May 27, 1983, he was sentenced to death. Over the years, circumstances changed. By November 22, 1994, his death sentence was commuted to life in prison. After a new hearing, a special judge ruled that the state had not met the burden of proof for the death sentence, and on June 5, 1998, Van Cleave was resentenced to 60 years of imprisonment.