Staff report
Indianapolis, Indiana – October 19, 2023
The Indiana attorney general and his legal team have secured the continued incarceration of John Myers, who was convicted for the murder of Indiana University student Jill Behrman, whose disappearance and subsequent discovery shook the state in 2000.
“The wheels of justice might turn slowly at times, but we take comfort in knowing we have achieved the proper outcome in this case,” Attorney General Rokita affirmed. “This vicious predator attacked and killed a young woman out innocently enjoying a bike ride, and Jill’s family since that time has endured a long and drawn-out investigatory and legal process. They will always mourn their loss, but we pray that God will grant them a measure of closure and peace.”
In a recent development, a U.S. district court has denied a habeas petition filed by John Myers, the individual who was convicted of Behrman’s murder. This legal decision upholds Myers’s continued imprisonment.
Jill Behrman’s remains were discovered in 2003, three years following her disappearance. It wasn’t until 2006 that John Myers was arrested and subsequently convicted in connection with her murder.
In 2019, the case took a turn when a U.S. district court initially granted Myers’s habeas petition, thereby reversing his conviction and mandating a new trial. Subsequently, his legal representatives made repeated attempts to secure his early release from prison, at one point invoking concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. However, the Office of the Attorney General successfully appealed the decision, leading to the case being remanded for further legal proceedings, culminating in this week’s ruling.
The complete court order is accessible here:
