Bio

Phillip A. Stroud was born on December 30, 1978. He grew up in a challenging environment in Indiana. His father was mostly absent during his childhood. Stroud's mother had a series of boyfriends, and he often faced mistreatment from them. He experienced emotional hardship and instability as a child.

Stroud had a younger half-brother, and he was known to be caring towards him. However, his mother's abandonment had a lasting impact on him. 

Stroud faced several legal issues as a young adult, which included charges related to drug dealing. At the time of his later crimes, he was out on bail for those drug charges.

Murder Story

On September 14, 2000, three workers—Wayne Shumaker, Lynn Ganger, and Corby Myers—were found dead in a barn in Lakeville, Indiana. They were in the middle of building a loft when Phillip A. Stroud and three accomplices entered the scene with the intent to commit burglary at a nearby residence.

When one of the workers left the barn, Stroud feared that the man might have seen their car's license plate. To eliminate this risk, Stroud decided that they needed to kill the workers. Stroud commanded his accomplices to tie up the men. He then shot each victim in the head with a .9 mm handgun.

After the shootings, Stroud and his accomplices returned to the home to finish the burglary. Initially, Stroud claimed that he was only acting as a lookout and did not participate in the killings. However, Ronald Carter, one of the accomplices, later testified that Stroud was indeed the shooter.

Evidence gathered during the investigation included ballistics and shoeprint testimonies. It was found that the bullets fired could possibly have been from a Tec-9 gun, which Stroud was reported to be carrying. Shoeprints found at the crime scene were linked to Nike shoes taken from Stroud's girlfriend's apartment. DNA from dog feces at the scene matched that on the shoes.

Stroud was arrested and faced multiple charges, including three counts of murder. During the trial, the prosecution's key evidence came from testimonies of other participants in the crime, as well as forensic evidence. The jury found Stroud guilty and recommended the death penalty, which the judge initially imposed.

However, the death sentence was later vacated and Stroud was resentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, along with additional consecutive sentences for burglary and robbery charges. He remains incarcerated for his crimes.