Man sentenced to max in death of mother

Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at 4:35 PM

By Paul Gable

A Greencastle man will face the next 40 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections after being handed down a maximum sentence Tuesday for his role in the 2024 death of his mother.

Last month, it took jurors 15 minutes to return a guilty verdict on Randy S. Haltom, 53, Greencastle, on a Level 1 felony charge of neglect of a dependent resulting in death. The charge stemmed from the Dec. 4, 2024 death of his mother, Sandra Haltom, 74, Greencastle.

On that night, 911 dispatchers received a call about a dead person. Greencastle Police Sgt. Nick Eastham met with Haltom at his mother's residence and was told the victim was found in her bedroom. Officers noted Sandra Haltom appeared to have been dead for several hours and there were no signs of a struggle. Police did not, however, the victim appeared to be "malnourished."

Haltom told police he had been taking care of his mother for several years, citing health issues and that she had not been eating or drinking prior to her death. Officers found a pair of water filled sippy cups with mold on the lids next to the victim. A probable cause affidavit stated Sandra Haltom was literally "skin and bones."