Terre Haute man gets 60 years in murder case

Apr. 10—A Terre Haute man convicted of murder in the December 2020 shooting death of his girlfriend was sentenced Monday to 60 years in prison.

Killed was Kristen Gregg, 27, of Terre Haute.

Steven Rickard, 35, was sentenced to 50 years for murder and 10 years for possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon for a total sentence of 60 years, according to a news release from the Vigo County prosecutor's office. Judge Sarah Mullican pronounced sentence in Vigo Superior Court III.

Rickard was convicted by a jury March 9.

The shooting occurred Dec. 12, 2020, in Rickard's home at 1434 Grand Ave. Gregg died of a gunshot wound to the chest.

Rickard reportedly told police several versions of the events, including that he was cleaning the gun or that it went off while showing it to someone in an effort to sell it.

Trial testimony showed Rickard had repeatedly threatened and terrorized Gregg during their relationship and had earlier made threats to Gregg — including one while displaying a firearm, prosecutors said.

On the day of the shooting, Gregg was packing her possessions to remove them from Rickard's residence.

At sentencing, Deputy Prosecutor Charles Ray stressed prior violence in the relationship and the defendant's criminal history and asked for Rickard to receive a 72-year prison sentence.

Mullican found that the defendant's assertion that he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder sufficient basis to give a mitigated sentence.

In addition to the murder and firearms charges, Rickard was sentenced to two years for possession of methamphetamine. That term will run concurrent with, or at the same time as, the 60-year sentence.

Ray prosecuted the case; Chief Deputy Prosecutor Robert Roberts assisted. Detective Kenneth Murphy led the case for the Terre Haute Police Department.