Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, ISP seeking info in Putnam County incident

Saturday, August 2, 2025 at 3:13 PM

By Paul Gable

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, along with the Indiana State Police are asking for the public’s help following a pair of incidents in the Van Bibber Lake Estates housing division and northwestern Putnam County Thursday afternoon and Friday evening.

Deputies with the sheriff’s department responded to a 911 call shortly after 1 p.m. on July 31 of a man laying on the ground near the 3000 block of West US 36. Upon arrival, deputies and EMS officials located the individual, who had sustained serious bodily injuries. The individual was transported to an Indianapolis hospital, where the person later died.

That prompted an investigation to begin with detectives from the sheriff’s department, as well as the Indiana State Police. On Friday, a search warrant was served on a vehicle of interest, and the vehicle was located in the Van Bibber Lake Estates housing division. According to Putnam County Sheriff Jarrod Baugh, the vehicle has been seized for evidence processing and further investigation.

“At this time, detectives are actively investigating this incident and it is being treated as potential crime unless otherwise refuted. Out of respect for family members, no other information, including names, will be released,” Baugh said in a release.

Anyone with any information or who may have witnessed the incident on U.S. 36 is asked to call the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department at 765-653-5115 or the tip line at 765-653-3211 and press 5.