Clinton man arrested on murder charge, victim still to be identified by coroner

Monday, October 6, 2025 at 4:33 PM

By Staff report

An investigation into a missing person resulted in the arrest of a Vermillion County man on a murder charge.

Vermillion County Sheriff Mike Holtcamp requested detectives from the Indiana State Police (ISP) Putnamville Post investigate a missing person case reported on October 5, in Clinton. During the course of the investigation, Putnamville ISP detectives uncovered criminal activity, determining that the missing person had been murdered. This led to the arrest of Nicholas Yates, 20, of Clinton.

Yates was taken into custody without incident and is being held at the Vermilion County Jail. Currently, the name of the deceased is not being released until a positive identification is made by the Vermillion County Coroner’s Office. This process may take several weeks.

The investigation is being conducted by ISP detectives Colton Maynor, Don Curtis, James Crisp, and CSI Sergeant Tim Rader of the Putnamville State Police Post. Assisting agencies include the Vermillion County Sheriff’s Department, Conservation Officers of the Department of Natural Resources, and the Vermillion County Coroner’s Office.

This remains an active and ongoing Indiana State Police investigation.