COLUMBUS, Ind. — A man who attacked a Columbus ice skating instructor last fall has been sentenced to five decades in prison.
A judge last week sentenced Ryan Halligan to 50 years in prison for the Oct. 2020 attack on Emma Baxter outside Hamilton Center Ice Arena.
According to police, Halligan went up to Baxter in the ice rink’s parking lot and asked her for a cigarette. When he became agitated, Baxter left and got back in her car. Halligan then crashed a stolen vehicle into her car and stabbed her more than a dozen times.
In addition to the stab wounds, Baxter also suffered a punctured lung, cracked skull, and a concussion. She was able to call 911 and was taken to a hospital in Indianapolis.
Police found Halligan outside a nearby house and arrested him on multiple charges, including attempted murder, aggravated battery, auto theft, and criminal confinement.
Halligan pleaded guilty to attempted murder in Oct. 2021. His sentence includes a maximum of 35 years in prison, plus an additional 15 years for being a habitual offender. The judge also ordered him to pay restitution.
