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Parke County Highway Superintendent’s arrest raises further concerns amid investigation

Tuesday, October 29, 2024 at 11:14 AM

By Joshua Nally

More details and developments in Luke Moody's October 15th arrest for domestic battery, which adds to his record of past offenses.

Parke County Highway Superintendent Luke James Moody is under continued scrutiny following new details surrounding his October 15 arrest for domestic battery and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon.

Further investigation shows a history of similar crimes in his past.

Deputies were called to Mansfield Bar & Grill around midnight October 15 to respond to a father-son dispute that witnesses described as heated and physical. According to a police report from Deputy Josh Milbourn, the altercation began when Moody, 42, and his son, Chandler, 22, argued over money from the bar’s closing till. As the dispute escalated near the entrance to the Moody’s apartment above the bar, witnesses reported that Moody struck Chandler, prompting the son to hold his father to the ground. Deputies observed injuries on both men, including a scratch on Moody’s forearm and a small cut above his eye. Chandler claimed Moody had been behaving erratically, possibly influenced by a white powder he found in the apartment, though no such substances were found in a later search.

The situation escalated further when Moody allegedly drove a Parke County-owned Chevrolet truck erratically, nearly striking witnesses while driving through a cable barrier. Deputies who later searched the truck reported a strong odor of what they assumed to be raw marijuana and observed recent off-road damage, including scratch marks and grass under the front bumper.

During an initial court hearing, Luke Moody appeared remotely via Zoom from the Parke County Jail, alongside his attorney, Justin Froedge. The court entered a preliminary plea of not guilty on Moody’s behalf. His case is now scheduled for a pretrial conference on December 19, at 1:30 p.m., with a second setting on January 7, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. The court set bond at $10,000, with a 10% deposit acceptable. Additionally, a No Contact Order was issued, restricting Moody from contact with involved parties.

This latest arrest adds to Moody’s criminal record. In 2023, he was arrested for operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) between 0.08 and 0.15. He also has a 2006 arrest on charges of breaking and entering, battery, and criminal mischief. Both of those arrests took place in Clay County, Indiana

The Parke County Board of Commissioners was asked to provide a comment on these recent developments in the case. However, they have declined to offer any updates at this time, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.

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