Second man drowns in Monroe Lake within 2 weeks
A second man has drowned at Monroe Lake within a 2-week span. Yesterday afternoon at 2:44pm, the body of 34 year-old David Alejendor Mora-Segura was recovered by Indiana Conservation Officer divers in 20 feet of water near where he was last seen the night before. Mora-Segura was boating with friends over the weekend, when he disappeared beneath the surface of the water approximately 2pm on Sunday.
Responding agencies searched for Mora-Segura until nightfall when the operation was suspended. The search resumed Monday morning. It is believed that the victim entered the water while wearing a floatation device, but it must have slipped off of him.
About two weeks ago, A Springville man drowned in Monroe Lake after jumping in the water to assist his wife, who had been struggling in the water. See story here
Attorney General Todd Rokita acts following Dobbs decision
Not wasting much time, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and his team took new actions following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
This week, AG Rokita has asked courts to lift injunctions against several Indiana abortion laws following the Supreme Court’s overturning of the Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey rulings. The rejection of those precedents means states now have much greater authority to enact and enforce laws regarding abortion.
In a press release AG Rokita’s office stated that the Indiana laws for which he seeks courts to lift injunctions include:
- a ban on “discriminatory abortions sought specifically because of the unborn child’s race, sex, or disability”
- a ban on “dismemberment abortions, in which living unborn children are dismembered piece by piece”
- a requirement that parents be notified when a court approves an abortion for a minor child without parental consent (barring extenuating circumstances such as reason to believe such notification could endanger the child)
In addition, AG Rokita already has obtained a court-filed stipulation that halts expansion plans by abortion providers Whole Woman’s Health Alliance and Planned Parenthood in the cities of South Bend and Evansville, respectively.
2021 Indiana State Police Forensic Scientist of the Year – Mitzi C. Templeton
The Indiana State Police Forensic Scientist of the Year Award is presented annually to a Forensic Scientist within the Laboratory Division deemed to have consistently provided a superior quality forensic analysis service in a highly professional, proficient, and unbiased manner for the Indiana Criminal Justice Community. The recipient of the 2021 Indiana State Police Forensic Scientist of the Year is Mitzi C. Templeton, whose accomplishments during that year are worthy of such recognition and have earned her this award. In 2021, Templeton, who serves as a Forensic Scientist in the Forensic Firearms Identification Unit at the Evansville Regional Laboratory completed 435 cases, which was well above the Unit’s average, and she organized several Integrated Ballistics Identification System shoots with multiple agencies that involved 147 cases.
In September 2021, Templeton received a United States Attorney’s Award that was presented to her by the Office of the United States Attorney, Southern District of Indiana, “…in recognition of your invaluable contribution to the mission of the United States Attorney’s Office and the United States Department of Justice.” The award noted that Ms. Templeton was recognized for the forensic science services she completed as part of a significant criminal investigation, reading in part “…for exemplary public service performed during a joint State and Federal investigation and prosecution for unlawful possession of firearms and murder. Your dedicated work shows how State and Federal Investigators and Prosecutors can successfully unite to seek justice and protect the people of Indiana.”
Templeton is a member of the Association of Firearm and Toolmark Examiners (AFTE), the International Association for Identification (IAI), the Indiana Chapter of IAI and the American Board of Criminalists (ABC), in which she is recognized as a Comprehensive Criminalist Fellow. She also serves as a website moderator for AFTE, as well as the Committee Chair of the AFTE Firearm and Ammunition Recall Committee. Templeton graduated from Indiana University in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. She started her career with the Indiana State Police Laboratory Division in May of 2007 at the Evansville Regional Laboratory, where she continues to serve. Forensic Scientist Templeton resides in the Greater Evansville area.
This Week in Hoosier History
1892 – John W. Foster was appointed United States Secretary of State by President Benjamin Harrison. Foster was born in Petersburg, Indiana, and attended Indiana University and Harvard Law School. His son-in-law, Robert Lansing, served as Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson, and his grandson, John Foster Dulles, was Secretary of State under Dwight D. Eisenhower.
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