COLUMBUS, Ind. – Patrick Doyle, 40, of Columbus, was found guilty Friday in Bartholomew County Circuit Court for the murder of Heather Ann Steuver, 37, after only one hour of jury deliberations. Due to extensive local media coverage of the case, all jurors were from Shelby County.
He was convicted of murdering Steuver on August 22, 2021, at a residence in the 5500 block of E. County Road 800N. Steuver had been reported missing by her parents to the Batholomew County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) on August 26, 2021.
Doyle was originally arrested on the charge of possession of child pornography on September 9, 2021. He admitted to killing Steuver while being interviewed by a BCSO detective, according to law enforcement.
Steuver’s body was later found in a shallow grave at Doyle’s place of employment, Nugent Sand Company. Steuver’s death was ruled a homicide as a result of blunt force trauma to the head by the Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office. Because of a previous burglary conviction in Bartholomew County and an armed burglary conviction in Florida, Doyle was found to be a habitual offender.
“First, my condolences to Heather’s family who suffered a tremendous loss with the murder of Heather. My thanks go to the hard-working men and women of the sheriff’s office whose dedication resulted in a conviction in this case,” BCSO Sheriff Chris Lane said. “I would like to recognize the Criminal Investigation Division, and in particular, Det. Kevin Abner the lead detective. It is not every day that our community experiences an incident like this but when we do the citizens of Bartholomew County can be assured that the sheriff’s office will investigate till justice is served.”
“Today has been a great reminder of why we do what we do. While we know this doesn’t right the wrong, getting justice for Heather and her family is the best way that we, as prosecutors, can honor her memory.” Bartholomew County Prosecutor Lindsey Holden said. “I am thankful to the jury for their careful consideration of this case and for returning the verdict that justice required.”
