Guilty verdict from jury for man who beat, robbed an 86-year-old man

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) – A Tippecanoe County jury decided the fate of 21-year-old Jacob McDaniel; and found he was guilty of confining, beating and robbing 86-year-old Kenneth Nice of Lafayette.

In a Tippecanoe County courtroom Thursday, the jury found McDaniel guilty on all 11 charges: robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, criminal confinement, battery resulting in serious bodily injury, auto theft, theft, possession of marijuana and five counts of invasion of privacy.

McDaniel will have a sentencing status hearing Friday morning. He faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum sentence of more than 43 years.

WISH-TV’s sister station WLFI has been following the trial, where closing arguments took place Thursday morning. The state reviewed highlights of the testimonies including several jail phone calls where McDaniel apologized to Nice, asked for money and even asked him to stop cooperating with prosecutors.

Prosecutors walked the jury through every charge and how they feel they proved each one beyond a reasonable doubt.

However, McDaniel’s attorney argues the state couldn’t prove he attacked, confined and robbed Nice because Nice never actually saw him do it.

Nice claims McDaniel was the only person in the house at the time of the incident. But because he was knocked out from behind, he never saw McDaniel do it.

The defense admitted to the phone calls, but argued Nice wanted the communication so they weren’t an invasion of privacy.

Since McDaniel was found with marijuana in his pocket, his attorney just plainly told the jury to convict him on that charge.

But the state told the jury to convict McDaniel on all charges at the highest level and gave them 27 reasons besides Nice’s testimony that proves McDaniel did the crime.