2 more Henry County inmates charged in beating death
NEW CASTLE — Two more New Castle felons face charges stemming from the fatal beating of a prisoner in the Henry County jail.
Joseph W. Flynn, 32, and Joshua G. Wilson, 25, are both charged with aggravated battery and involuntary manslaughter. Wilson is also charged with two counts of theft.
Henry County Prosecutor Joe Bergacs alleges Flynn, Wilson and a third prisoner attacked fellow inmate Brian L. Gosser, 32, who died March 4 in an Indianapolis hospital.
According to a report by a Henry County sheriff’s investigator, Gosser was the target of repeated attacks in the jail’s F cell block, including three on Feb. 26. The victim was in jail following a Feb. 17 arrest for driving while intoxicated.
Authorities last week announced inmate Justin R. Fannin, 35, also of New Castle, has been charged with aggravated battery, involuntary manslaughter and theft.
Men charged in fatal beating at Henry County jail
The theft charges stem from the stealing of Gosser’s jail commissary, specifically e-cigarettes.
A fourth inmate, David D. Mettert, 48, New Castle, is charged with aiding in the commission of aggravated battery. The investigator’s report appears to reflect Mettert served as a lookout while his co-defendants attacked Gosser in his cell.
The Marion County coroner’s office said Gosser died as a result of “multiple blunt force trauma injuries.”
The charges against Flynn and Wilson, filed Sept. 30 in Henry Circuit Court 1, were sealed until they returned from state prisons this week.
The investigation included reviewing recorded telephone conversations Flynn and Wilson placed on jail telephones in which they allegedly discussed the attacks.
Flynn — who received a Dec. 12 trial date Wednesday in Henry Circuit Court 1 — is now serving a sentence for a meth-dealing conviction.
Wilson — whose trial is set for Feb. 7 — was most recently convicted of battery and theft.
The aggravated battery charges are Level 3 felonies carrying up to 16 years in prison.
Gosser’s family has filed a tort claim with Henry County, normally the first step in filing a lawsuit against a government entity.
Contact news reporter Douglas Walker at (765) 213-5851. Follow him on Twitter: @DouglasWalkerSP.