Indiana man gets life for torture-murder of woman left in trash bin; victim’s family begs for lesser sentence

GOSHEN, Ind. (TCD) --

A 22-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole Thursday for his involvement in the torture and murder of 31-year-old Kimberly Dyer in 2019.

The Goshen News reports Donald Owen Jr. is one of three people charged with Dyer's death.

In April, Owen and Mario Angulo Jr. were found guilty of murder, robbery resulting in injury, and criminal confinement. Angulo's hearing will be June 24. The Goshen News reports the men were also convicted of the robbery and confinement of Robert Porter.

Matthew Murzynski was sentenced to 60 years in prison and will reportedly be in a different prison than the other two men for safety purposes, the Associated Press reports.

Owen, Angulo, and Murzynski were arrested in December 2019, and prosecutors believe Dyer died "on or about October 21 and 22, 2019" at a residence on Old Orchard Lane, the Elkhart County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement at the time.

Elkhart County Prosecuting Attorney Vicki Elaine Becker said Dyer "was intentionally murdered, and was burned, mutilated, or tortured while she was still alive; and, that the murder occurred while Owen and Angulo were committing criminal organization activity."

According to the Goshen News, Porter, a marijuana dealer, was robbed at the residence on Old Orchard Lane around the same time as Dyer's murder.

The house was reportedly believed to have been a meth den, and Dyer was allegedly accused of having a "snitch list" of names.

Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Katelyn Doyle reportedly said during her closing arguments in the trial that Owen oversaw Porter's robbery and gave the orders for Dyer to be "put to sleep."

Dyer's throat was reportedly slashed with remnants of a broken bottle. She had received 82 other injuries during her torture, Doyle said, according to Goshen News.

Owen, Angulo, and another woman reportedly drove Dyer to a marshy area in Constantine, Michigan, where they put her body in a trash bin and covered it, the Goshen News reported in April.

However, Murzynski reportedly controlled most of the confinement and torture, Goshen News reports.

Dyer's mother and aunt reportedly asked the judge not to sentence Owen to life in prison without parole. Rather, they requested he be sentenced to a term with a release date.

“I’m begging you, judge,” Dyer’s mother said in court. “Please have mercy on him. He did not kill my daughter. He did not take my daughter from her children.”

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