Illinois double murder suspect caught

The Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department issued the following press release Sunday night:

Kosciusko County Sheriff Deputies apprehended an Illinois double homicide suspect Sunday evening just south of Mentone, Indiana. Brian Lee Garrett (DOB: 01/03/1982), Watseka, Illinois was taken by Kosciusko County Sheriff Deputies Chris McKeand and Matt Rapp at approximately 7:30 p.m. in a wooded area just outside the town limits of Mentone. Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department obtained information that Garrett had been dropped off into a wooded area east of SR 19 on CR 500 South by a female acquaintance, Tricia Hall (age: 24), Sheldon, Illinois. Hall took officers to the location where a perimeter was established by several various law enforcement agencies. Canine units from Warsaw P.D., Winona Lake P.D., Indiana State Police, and the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department converged into the wooded area along with a helicopter from the Indiana State Police.

Detectives from the Iroquois County Sheriff’s Department, Watseka, Illinois, arrived in Kosciusko County and provided more information into the double murder incident. Their officers explained that Garrett and Hall had resided with a one Robert Wood (age: 48) and Ralph Elsey (age: 61) at 270 W. Depot Street, Sheldon, Il until recently when Garrett was asked to leave. On Friday, June 5th, Brian Garrett went back to the Depot Street residence and stabbed Robert Wood several times in the chest on the front porch of the residence. Garrett then entered the house and apparently stabbed Elsey several times in the presence of Tricia Hall. Garrett attempted to load the body of Wood into the trunk of his vehicle but eventually dragged him underneath a nearby tree. Garrett then took Hall with him and traveled to Remington, Indiana were the two stayed the rest of the night as well as Saturday night. Garrett and Hall left Remington on Sunday enroute to Warsaw where Brian Garrett’s grandmother lived. Unable to locate his grandmother, Garrett wished to camp-out in a wooded area south of Mentone. Hall left Garrett in the wooded area of CR 500 South and eventually met up with Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Deputies.

Brian Garrett is currently being held in the Kosciusko County Jail awaiting extradition to Illinois. Iroquois County Sheriff’s Department advised that have a one million dollar ($1,000,000.00) warrant issued from their county for his arrest on charges of (2) two first degree murders.

Assisting during the apprehension was the Warsaw Police Department, Winona Lake Police Department, Indiana Department of Conservation, Claypool Police Department, Indiana State Police, Mentone Police Department, and the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department.