Anderson man sentenced to 66 years for Daleville murder
Jul. 26—MUNCIE — An Anderson man has been sentenced to 66 years in prison in a 2022 road rage incident in rural Daleville.
Alexander Geesy, 20, Anderson, was found guilty in a June trial in Delaware County on charges of murder and obstruction of justice in the July 22, 2022, shooting death of Randall Coomer.
Delaware Circuit Court Division 4 Judge Thomas Cannon Jr. sentenced Geesy Friday to 56 years on the murder conviction and 10 years for a firearm enhancement.
Cannon characterized Geesy as "a cowardly misfit without a conscience who only gained courage from strapping a gun on his hip," according to a press release from the Delaware County Prosecutor's office.
Four Anderson residents were charged in the incident.
On the afternoon of the crime, Alexander and Ryan Geesy, Brandi Zirkle, Dawn Schattner and three juveniles took two cars from Anderson to Sharp Cemetery in the 12000 block of South Delaware County Road 500 West in rural Daleville "to celebrate a birthday."
Zirkle, the Geesys and two of the juveniles were riding in a Ford Focus belonging to a sister of Alexander Geesy, while Schattner and one of the juveniles were in Schattner's Ford Explorer.
During the ride, some of the occupants of at least one of the cars yelled obscenities and "flipped off" occupants of other vehicles.
About a quarter mile south of the cemetery, at roughly 2 p.m., they encountered Stephanie Coomer parked in a car at the mailbox in front of her home along 500 West. Occupants of the Focus flipped Stephanie Coomer off and shouted profanities at her as she yelled at them to slow down.
She later told police that the cars "came racing down the road and almost hit" her.
The Focus and the Explorer then continued northward to the cemetery, where both backed into the cemetery's unpaved lane on the west side of the road.
Back at the Coomers' house, after Stephanie Coomer saw the cars turn in to the cemetery, she pulled up the driveway and told her husband what had happened. Randall Coomer then drove a truck to the cemetery to confront the cars' occupants.
When Coomer arrived, he and Ryan Geesy had a verbal and physical altercation. After Ryan Geesy fell, Alexander Geesy drew a .40-caliber handgun, pointed it at Coomer and repeatedly ordered him to lie on the ground.
When Coomer didn't comply, Alexander Geesy fired a warning shot in the air.
When Coomer retreated toward his truck, Alexander Geesy fired a shot at him. Coomer ran away from the truck, and Alexander Geesy fired more shots in his direction until Coomer fell into a ditch.
After the shooting, the occupants of the Focus and the Explorer fled southward on 500 West.
Ryan Geesy and Brandi Zirkle pleaded guilty in 2023 to charges of assisting a criminal and obstruction of justice. Ryan Geesy was sentenced to 13 months in the Delaware County Jail, and three years of the sentence was suspended.
Zirkle was sentenced to serve two years on electronic monitoring.
Schattner has pending charges of assisting a criminal, obstruction of justice and neglect of a dependent. A court hearing has been set for Aug. 20.
Follow Ken de la Bastide on Twitter @KendelaBastide, or call 765-640-4863.
