Man who fatally stabbed victim in 1991 while chanting 'Satan is with us' is granted probation

MUNCIE, Ind. (TCN) -- A convicted killer who fatally stabbed a man dozens of times and dumped his body in a river when he was 17 years old will be released early from prison.

The Delaware County Prosecuting Attorney announced Nov. 7 that a judge granted Matt Stidham probation despite objections from the prosecutor. He was convicted in May 1993 of murder, robbery, criminal confinement, battery, and auto theft in connection with 31-year-old Daniel Barker’s death. The Indiana Supreme Court described the defendant’s crimes as "brutal" and "horrific."

According to court documents, Stidham was initially sentenced to 141 years in prison, but the sentence was reduced to 88 years because he was under 18 when he killed Barker.

On Feb. 23, 1991, Stidham and several of his friends drove to Barker’s home and consumed whiskey and played guitars. At some point, Stidham and two of his friends "viciously beat" Barker and hit him on the head with glass bottles. The prosecuting attorney’s office said the three attacked him "like a pack of wild animals in a frenzy" and that Stidham used a club to beat Barker.

Stidham and his accomplices then reportedly stole Barker’s music equipment, guitars, and television and placed them in a van. Prosecutors said the defendant and his accomplices "grabbed the victim by both arms in an attempt to force him into his own van." Barker allegedly broke free, and they ran after him, "beat him with a club, gagged him, and put him in the back of the van."

The trio continued to beat Barker and drove him to a deserted area of a road, where Stidham fatally stabbed the victim multiple times in the chest while chanting "Satan is with us," "We kill for Satan," "Die you bastard," and "Kill the motherf---er." Following Barker’s death, prosecutors said Stidham dragged the victim’s body, dumped him into a river, and placed a piece of machinery on top of him in an attempt to conceal his remains.

An autopsy determined Barker sustained at least 47 stab wounds, including 27 to the chest, abdomen, and front of his body, as well as 15 to his back and five to his arms. Barker’s heart had been punctured with a stab wound, and he suffered blunt force injuries all throughout his body. Prosecutors said investigators observed multiple lacerations and bruises to Barker’s head and defensive wounds.

After killing and dumping Barker’s body, Stidham and his friends reportedly drove the victim’s van with his belongings to Bobbie Meadows and Joseph Meadows’ residence. Prosecutors said the defendant "bragged about stabbing Daniel Barker in the heart" and seemed "excited." Stidham and his accomplices purportedly fled to Illinois and tossed a club into a cornfield while en route. Local police in Palos Heights, Illinois, pulled over Stidham on Feb. 24, 1991, for driving a stolen van. Stidham admitted to an officer that they killed "some queer."

Court documents say while incarcerated, Stidham earned a GED, an associate’s degree, and a bachelor’s degree. He is reportedly the captain of the prison fire department. According to prosecutors, the defendant’s aunt testified and said the defendant "is completely changed." His aunt also claimed he suffered abuse as a child.

In response to the early release, Prosecuting Attorney Eric Hoffman said, "A vicious, callous, and brutal killer has been granted early release and turned back into our community despite the repeated objections of the Prosecutor. Matt Stidham’s crimes were pre-meditated, brutal, and disturbing. The court’s own order in this case states that ‘the victim was likely mentally challenged.’ Not once during the hearing on the Petition for Modification, did the Defendant turn toward the victim’s family and display even a modicum of remorse or sorrow."

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