A plea hearing for the third man accused of being involved in a 2015 double murder in Syracuse was rescheduled this morning for Wednesday in Kosciusko Circuit Court.
Thomas Glen Hursey, 29, is facing two murder charges as well as burglary charges in the deaths of Tara Thornburg, 23, and Joshua Knisley, 19, in February 2015.
Hursey is expected to plead guilty to charges related to the murder. The specific charges Hursey will plead to have not been released. Today’s hearing was moved due to a paperwork issue in transporting Hursey from the Whitley County Jail.
Police say Hursey, along with Kyle DeHart and Brandon Woody, went to Thornburg’s house to steal marijuana. When the deal went wrong, Woody shot Knisley and then Thornburg.
During Woody and DeHart’s murder trial in October, Hursey testified to the details of the crime. He testified DeHart tossed the shoes he was wearing out of the window of a SUV as the men drove from the scene. Hursey also led police to the shoes and the burn pile outside the DeHart residence where police say the men burned the clothes they were wearing during the crime. Police were able to find similarities with the shoes and a shoe print left at the scene of the crime.
Woody and DeHart were convicted of two counts of murder Oct. 7, and were later sentenced to 120 and 110 years in prison, respectfully. They are both incarcerated in the Miami Correctional facility, Bunker Hill.
Hursey testified at the trial against Woody and DeHart. Kosciusko County Prosecutor Dan Hampton made no promises of leniency in exchange for his testimony.
The plea hearing is now set for 8:45 a.m. Wednesday in Kosciusko Circuit Court, with Judge Michael Reed presiding.
