May 18—GREENSBURG — A jury was selected Monday to determine the guilt of a man accused of harboring a fugitive wanted on a warrant for Level 1 child molestation.
The suspect was arrested February 22, 2022 at Lake McCoy.
Jurors found the suspect, Christopher M. Lee, guilty of the charge of assisting a criminal, a level 5 felony, and he was further charged as a habitual criminal for previous, unrelated felony convictions.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. June 27 at the Decatur County Courthouse.
Lee was arrested at 10:14 a.m. Feb. 22, 2022 on a preliminary charge of assisting a criminal. At the same time and location, Jessica Brackett was arrested and preliminarily charged with child molestation.
Decatur County Prosecutor Nate Harter represented the State and attorney Troy Willsey represented Lee. Several witnesses were called to testify with the majority being law enforcement officers.
Marc Campbell testified first. He is an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officer and a Task Force Officer with the United States Marshals Service. Campbell explained that he had received the warrant for Brackett’s arrest and further received information that she was in Decatur County.
After narrowing the search down to a specific location, Campbell and a few other marshals met with Decatur County Sheriff’s Deputies Patrick Graue, Noah Moore and Robert Goodfellow.
The team of about eight law enforcement officers headed to a Lake McCoy residence where they believed Brackett to be.
Lee answered the door and a marshal identified himself before demanding Brackett surrender herself. A team of officers had taken position around the house.
Lee reportedly either lied to law enforcement about Brackett’s whereabouts or refused to answer and stood in front of the door. During the conversation or lack thereof with law enforcement, Brackett was spotted in the home.
After Lee was detained, Brackett surrendered.
Each named officer was called to testify to the events of the morning of Feb. 22 as well as the resident of the home where the arrest took place, the civilian mother of Lee’s children, Brackett and the defendant himself.
After jury selection, the entire trial was finished in a day.
Lee has previously been charged in Decatur County Circuit Court with dealing in methamphetamine (Level 3 felony), possession of methamphetamine (Level 6 felony), unlawful possession of a syringe (Level 6 felony), resisting law enforcement (Level 6 felony), obstruction of justice (Level 6 felony), false informing (misdemeanor), reckless driving (misdemeanor), and operating a motor vehicle without ever having received a license (misdemeanor).
The defendant had also been previously charged as a habitual criminal in 2016.
Lee was additionally convicted of felony possession of a narcotic drug in Shelby County in 2003, and of felony burglary in Franklin County in 2007, according to court records.
Contact Josie Clark at josie.clark@greensburgdailynews.com or 812-651-0873.