Ind. man sentenced to life for killing, dismembering man he had sex with in storage unit
11/29/2022 11:53 am PST
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (TCD) -- A 22-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison without parole in connection with the death and dismemberment of a victim he had sex with in a storage unit.
In April 2021, Shane Nguyen was reported missing to the Fort Wayne Police Department. He was last seen leaving the Allen County Memorial Coliseum and driving a black Honda Odyssey minivan.
Later that same month, Mathew Cramer, Jacob Carreon-Hamiton, and Cody Clements were arrested in connection with the case.
A Fort Wayne Police officer located a "suspicious" vehicle behind a building and discovered it was registered under Nguyen’s name. When the officer tried to perform a traffic stop, the Honda Odyssey sped away. The driver reportedly jumped out of the van and the person in the passenger seat moved to the driver’s side.
The van reportedly crashed, and the driver fled.
Police went to the car and found Nguyen’s dismembered body in trash bags. An autopsy report concluded that he died from blunt force trauma to the head.
During a search of the car, authorities reportedly discovered receipts for instruments including a hacksaw, two shovels, tarps, and more.
Upon further investigation, authorities concluded that Nguyen was dismembered in a storage unit where Cramer lived, and Carreon-Hamilton recorded a video of Cramer cutting Nguyen’s body with a machete.
A few weeks before he was killed, Nguyen allegedly offered Cramer a ride and asked Cramer to perform sexual acts on him. On April 23, Nguyen reportedly told Cramer he wanted Cramer’s juvenile niece and nephew to join them for sexual acts. Cramer choked Nguyen and "exploded on him."
Cramer was born without Chromosome 15, which reportedly correlates with behavior, and has a "low average" IQ of 81.
Cramer’s accomplice in the killing, Carreon-Hamilton, was previously sentenced to five years in prison for assisting in Nguyen’s dismemberment. Under a plea deal, Carreon-Hamilton testified at Cramer’s trial, WTHR-TV reports.
The defense reportedly argued that Cramer was homeless, living in a storage unit, and was the victim of a sexual predator.
However, according to WTHR, Fort Wayne Police Sgt. Jeremy Webb called the killing
"barbaric."
Cramer was officially sentenced on Monday, Nov. 28. He reportedly apologized to Nguyen’s family during his sentencing.
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