Man convicted of killing a police officer will be released from prison on July 29

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - A Noble County man, convicted of killing a police officer, will be released from prison on July 29.  William Spranger spent the last 29 years in prison for killing William Miner Jr., the former town marshal in Avilla.

Spranger was 18 in 1983, when, according to multiple people familiar with the case, got in an altercation with Miner.  During that time, Miner lost possession of his gun, which Spranger used to kill Miner.

Miner was 29 when he died.

According to a spokesperson with the Indiana Department of Correction, Spranger was originally sentenced to death. 

From there, Spranger and his lawyers asked for several appeals, in hopes of getting a new sentence.  Finally, in 1997, a judge in Wayne County gave Spranger a new sentence. 

"This time, the court re-sentenced him to 60 years," Doug Garrison, the communications director for the Indiana Department of Correction, said.

Now, Glen Wills is Avilla's town marshal.  He attended the court hearings when Spranger was re-sentenced.

"I remember specifically, the defense attorney had pointed out that there was some type of issue with fetal alcohol syndrome," Wills recalled.  "Also, the age of the perpetrator was young, and for some reason, the judge bought into it."

According to Garrison, prisoners can have their sentence reduced with good behavior.  In many cases, a sentence can be reduced in half.  Spranger furthered his education while incarcerated, which gave him more credit towards his sentence. 

In the upcoming days, Spranger will be transferred from the Plainfield Correctional Facility to Allen County, where he will be released to family.

Garrison's department has spent the last few months notifying area police departments, and anyone connected with Miner, and his death, about Spranger's release.

"People are becoming aware that this man, who was formally sentenced to death," Garrison said, "who killed a police officer,  which is a very serious crime, is coming back out into their community, and people want to know that."

Spranger will remain on parole for one year.  During that time, he will be required to wear a GPS monitoring system, which will allow police to track him at all times.

"Men and women are paroled on a regular basis," Garrison said.  "They come into their communities to live normal, law-abiding lives, and we hope that happens in this situation."

NewsChannel 15 reached out to Miner's family.  His daughter refused an interview, but said she wanted the public to be made aware of Spranger's release, and his past.

Since Miner's death, the Avilla Police Department has created a memorial at the station honoring him.

"It reminds us that police officers are killed in small towns," said Wills.

Marshal Wills was asked his thoughts on a man, convicted of killing a police officer, being released from prison.

"That's our criminal justice system," he said, adding the U.S. justice system is the best in the world.  "That's what we have to go by.  And I will work tomorrow, the day I did before, whether [Spranger] is out on the street or whether he is incarcerated."

When Spranger is released, he will be 47-years-old.