Two men were sentenced Thursday after cutting plea deals in a fatal Black Oak shooting.
Mark Windsheimer, 31, and Christopher Dukes, 20, both pleaded guilty to reckless homicide, a Level 5 felony in the Sept. 3, 2020, shooting death of Landen Cowart, 39, of Gary.
Windsheimer and Dukes each faced 1-6 years. Their original murder charge alone carried a 45-65 year penalty each.
During an emotional, nearly two-hour-long hearing, Cowart’s family spoke of their grief and how the men’s actions afterward poured salt on their wounds. Windsheimer’s fiancé and Dukes’ wife pleaded for leniency, saying how the men matured and had families now.
Winsheimer got six years. With over five years total credit, he would spend up to less than a year imprisoned.
Dukes got a 5-year split sentence — with three years in prison and two years in Lake County Community Corrections. He had more than 500 days credit toward his prison term.
Judge Natalie Bokota was concerned both had “extremely lenient” terms, but accepted the plea deals by the hearing’s end.
Court documents show both men admitted showing up “uninvited” at Cowart’s home on the 2300 block of Colfax Street, in Gary’s Black Oak neighborhood. Windsheimer and Cowart had “on-and-off” relationships with the same woman. Dukes thought Cowart stole money from his mom.
Windsheimer told the woman to get in the car. Cowart said she wasn’t “going anywhere.”
Both Windsheimer and Dukes shot up the house — with at least 16 bullets, they admitted in court documents. Cowart was hit in the torso and the bullet pierced his heart.
Dorothy Michelle Cowart, his niece, said she “can never erase” the memory of going to the house, seeing a bullet hole in the house and watching him being carted away. They were less than a year apart and more “brother and sister.”
She opposed the plea.
After the shooting, Windsheimer called Cowart’s relative and threatened to rape her with a shotgun, she said. Dukes sent a Facebook friend request.
It was “taunting,” she said.
His mom had a stroke around the time of his funeral, she said.
“My family does not agree with the actual plea or whatever it is,” Cowart said.
Afterwards, she said he was no “saint”, but had two daughters, including one who just graduated high school.
Deputy Prosecutor Jacob Brandewie said the case was plagued with problems — most notably the “quality” and “quantity” of evidence.
Some witnesses had died. They didn’t have a murder weapon. The pair were granted bail in 2021, a sign of how weak the evidence they had was.
A primary witness “gave different stories” over time.
Later, he noted there was one bullet hole in the house and 16 casings tied to the same gun.
He submitted a Facebook post and messages from Windsheimer and Dukes, respectively, that showed a lack of remorse.
Desiree Davis, Windsheimer’s fiance, said he had grown into a father and was “different from who he used to be.”
They started dating in 2022. When Brandewie asked if she was in the car with him on May 29 in Schererville when cops found burnt cocaine residue on a used drug pipe in the back during a traffic stop, she asserted her 5th Amendment rights and declined to answer.
In court documents, Windsheimer said it was his friend’s, who he just dropped off.
Christopher Dukes’ wife Cora echoed Davis, asking for him to avoid prison.
“I know my three little boys will be destroyed.” she said.
One of Cowart’s relatives emotionally left the courtroom.
Brandewie asked for the “maximum,” stating that although the women’s words were “moving,” the men killed someone.
He had not filed to revoke Windsheimer’s bond after the drug arrest, not realizing Indiana law had changed, which gave him more credit time for house arrest to his sentence.
The plea is “very lenient,” he told Bokota. “You shouldn’t go further.”
Defense lawyer Nick Barnes said the social media post was back in 2020 and his client “changed substantially.”
Bokota accepted the plea. While noting there were changes, Cowart’s family were left suffering, she said.
“I hope your attorney is right, you have grown and matured,” she told Windsheimer.
Windsheimer apologized tearfully for his “split-second decision.”
Defense lawyer John Cantrell, representing Dukes, who was 16 at the time, argued that he was not involved in the problem between the two men.
His car broke down, Windsheimer picked him up and “this happened.”
Dukes apologized to Cowart’s family.
“Nobody deserves that,” he said.
Bokota said his friending the family on social media was callous.