FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): A man who was convicted of stabbing a nurse to death in 1986 will soon be free.
According to the News-Sentinel, Robert Hicks was sentenced to 85-years in prison for the death of 31-year-old Julie Bissell during a home invasion. She had been stabbed in the abdomen, wrapped in plastic, and her body dumped down the embankment of the St. Marys River in southern Allen County.
Hicks, who maintained his innocence and cited a lack of physical evidence, had been convicted after an accomplice testified against him.
He was moved into the County’s Re-Entry Court program Friday and will be released on September 26th, due to earning a reduced sentence through good behavior in prison.
4 comments
Wow, serve only 32 years of an 85 year sentence. Shouldn’t good behavior include being remorseful for the crime you committed? I read the News Sentinel article and it only mentions he said he didn’t do it. Really, how hard can it be to be “good” when your locked up? Do what you’re told. That’s it. Having 53 years shaved off your sentence for following orders? Please… Where’s the justice for Julie Bissell?
I knew both Hicks and Darrell Wilson from junior and senior high school. Darrell had a fascination with knives and once threatened me with one. He boasted about how he would go and get his “big knife” to deal with me. Hicks was bad seed but to this day, I’m convinced that Darrell is the actual murderer. Rest in peace Julie.
At the time of his arrest, Wilson and another friend had picked him up to take him to his new job.The friend told me that the first thing Robert said was “Who’s car is this?” He was told by Wilson that it was his girl friend’s brother’s car. Wilson made a stop at the girlfriend’s place on the way. When Wilson got out of the car he asked again. The guy in the bag seat didn’t know so Robert
opened the glove compartment. He was astonished to find it full of pictures of white people. Wilson came back and they drove a short time when all the “cops in the world” swarmed them with lights and sirens.Wilson jumped out and ran . Robert and the back seat rider were left stunned , wondering what the hell? That is how Robert was arrested in the victim’s vehicle.This was told by the guy also arrested from the back seat. This incident and the testimony of Wilson was all the evidence against Robert that they had. The rest was a tangled mess of corruption and crooked authorities in the Ft. Wayne government at the time.
I was very much aware of this case as it happened because Robert worked for me . I knew his father who also worked for the same company for many years. I testified at his trial. I only knew him to be a very polite, easy going young man. I also visited him in prison and left feeling so very sad. His parting comment to me was that God has this plan for me and I just have to trust that he will work it out. He won’t leave me here for something I didn’t do . I stayed in touch with him for a while but soon realized that my heath was being damaged from the stress. I learned about his release just last week when I was telling my great grandson about him as answer to his question of had I ever been in court. Being a curious young teen who doesn’t believe things I tell him about my life. He researched it and told me that Robert had passed last year. I am sorry I didn’t know. I would have liked to have seen him. Rest in peace. I thought of you every year in August on our shared birthday and will continue to do so.