Police Say DNA Links Man to Evansville Realtor’s Murder

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Evansville police said Thursday they’ve charged Jarmerus Parkman with the murder of 74-year-old Susan Haynie.

Haynie, a realtor, was found dead by a friend in the basement of her home on East Gum Street on August 27th. Police say asphyxiation was the cause of Haynie’s death.

Investigators say Parkman entered the home through an unlocked back door, went into Haynie’s bedroom, and strangled her before dragging her to the basement. Police say they learned Haynie typically left her back doors unlocked.

Parkman has a criminal history, including convictions for burglary, robbery, and attempted rape during an Evansville “crime spree” between 2008 and 2010. He was sentenced to 35 years in 2012, but he was released from prison in February of this year.

Investigators say Parkman worked as a cook at a grill just over a mile away from Haynie’s home. Surveillance video showed him in the area on the day of the killing. He was later found at a studio with scratches and lacerations on him and was arrested.

An Indiana State Police Lab test on September 11th showed that Parkman’s DNA was found on Haynie, and her DNA was found on property seized from Parkman’s hotel room.

Parkman was taken to the Vanderburgh County Jail.