Six Months Out of Prison, He Killed a Realtor. Now He Pleads Guilty

Six months after leaving prison, Jamerus Parkman killed an Evansville real estate agent in her home. He has now pleaded guilty, days before the murder trial was scheduled to begin.

Parkman entered his plea October 23 in the death of Susan Haynie, whose body was found in August 2025. WFIE reported that his sentencing hearing is set for December 2.

Haynie was a longtime Evansville resident and realtor. Her sons and friends later joined a campaign for stronger release notifications, helping put her name on an Indiana law that took effect this year.

Police First Responded to a Death Investigation

Haynie was found at her home on East Gum Street on August 27, 2025. Police initially investigated her death before determining within days that it was a homicide, according to WNIN’s reporting.

Detectives reviewed neighborhood surveillance recordings as they worked to identify a suspect. Police Sgt. Anthony Aussieker said the same person appeared in several videos, prompting investigators to circulate images among officers for identification.

Police identified Parkman, who was taken into custody at a local motel. The investigation led to allegations of murder and burglary, and the case eventually advanced toward an October 2026 trial.

The police response also drew questions from neighbors. Aussieker acknowledged that officers could have warned more residents sooner, after the initial death investigation became a homicide inquiry.

His Release Prompted Questions Beyond the Case

Parkman had left prison six months before Haynie’s death, WFIE reported. Evansville police said they had not been notified of his release.

That gap became the focus of a legislative effort supported by Haynie’s family and friends. Former Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke, a friend of Haynie, helped advocate for a notification requirement alongside state Rep. Tim O’Brien.

Vanderburgh County commissioners endorsed the proposal in January. More than 2,000 signatures had been gathered in support, according to WNIN’s account of the meeting.

The legislation was House Bill 1250, later House Enrolled Act 1250. It was signed into law in March, followed by a ceremonial signing in Evansville in May attended by Haynie’s relatives and local officials.

Her Sons Helped Carry the Proposal Forward

Haynie’s sons Matt and Ken Haynie III stood before the gathering at the May ceremony. Ken thanked the community for its calls, messages, prayers and encouragement following his mother’s death.

He said no law could bring her back, but that using her name and story to help protect other people was meaningful to the family. The ceremony honored her life as well as marking the legislative change.

The law requires advance notice to specified law enforcement officials, prosecutors and registered victims when a serious violent felon is due for release. WFIE reported that the notification is required one week beforehand.

By July, neighboring Warrick County officials were working out how to use that information. Victim-assistance staff described plans to call people directly and prepare them before an offender’s release, rather than leaving them to hear the news informally.

A Trial Date Gave Way to a Guilty Plea

Parkman’s murder trial had been set to start October 26. His October 23 plea removed the case from that imminent trial schedule and moved it toward sentencing instead.

The court has not yet imposed punishment for Haynie’s killing. The December 2 hearing is the next reported step in the criminal case, separate from the law already passed in her memory.

The notification changes arose during the family’s wait for that criminal outcome. Haynie’s sons had spent the May ceremony thanking the people who helped them through the months after her death and explaining why they wanted the effort to reach beyond their own loss.

Ken described the legislation as a way to create accountability and awareness. Their mother’s name now accompanies that change, while the man who killed her awaits the sentence that will follow his guilty plea.

References: Man charged with killing of Evansville realtor changes plea, officials say | Parkman Faces Murder Charge in Haynie Death | Commissioners Endorse Haynie Bill | Family of slain beloved community member hope new law ‘creates accountability and awareness’ | Susan Haynie Law: How Warrick Co. plans to notify victims when violent offenders are released

The Truth In Facts team was assisted by generative AI technology in creating this content