Teen receives 45-year sentence in killing

A Richmond 18-year-old received a 45-year prison sentence and 10 years of probation Thursday for his role in a May 2014 killing, but the victim’s father said he would have preferred a harsher sentence.

Michael Pruitt was sentenced in Wayne County Superior Court I in accordance with a plea agreement after pleading guilty to felony murder in the beating death of Caleb Woosley.

Pruitt, the second of four defendants to reach a plea deal in the case, received credit for 422 days of time served and for 422 days of good time credit.

“In my opinion, they should all get life in prison without parole,” said John Woosley, Caleb’s father. “They’re all cowards and child-killers. Caleb was 17 years old.”

John Woosley, who addressed the court, said no punishment for Pruitt could make up for losing Caleb. As he approached the microphone in the jury box, Woosley locked his eyes on Pruitt.

“It was all I could do to stop myself and not keep walking (to him),” Woosley said.

David Maish, 19, who did not participate in the attack but helped plan and cover up the crime, has completed his two-year jail sentence on a Class C felony charge of assisting a criminal. He was released from the Indiana Department of Correction on Aug. 22, according to the department’s website, and is serving six years of probation.

Deandre Plant, 21, and Kore Buchanan, 18, who are accused of beating Caleb Woosley with baseball bats on May 17, 2014, both have trials scheduled for 9 a.m. Sept. 28 in Superior Court I.

Indiana’s sentencing range for felony murder is 45 to 65 years, and Wayne County Prosecutor Mike Shipman told the court he took Pruitt’s age, his taking responsibility for the crime and his degree of culpability into account when reaching the plea agreement. Kimberly Woosley, Caleb’s mom, who wore a black T shirt that said “Justice for Caleb” on the front Thursday, signed the plea agreement.

“Mr. Pruitt, of the three, was the least involved in the actual beating of Mr. Woosley,” Shipman said.

Pruitt, who wore a sling on his right arm for a shoulder injury that delayed Thursday’s hearing from the morning to the afternoon, admitted in court that he helped plan the attack, which took place in the 200 block alley between North 14th and North 15th streets. He testified the plan was to “get loose” on Caleb, which he admitted could be interpreted as a beating or a killing.

He also supplied the baseball bats, which were stored under the porch at his home, and stood as a lookout.

“To me, they were intent on killing him,” John Woosley said. “A ball bat’s not going to just hurt him, and if you hit him in the head, you’re trying to kill him.”

John Woosley said the family had moved to Richmond from West College Corner, Ind., seven weeks before the attack to escape bad influences on Caleb, who had grown up with Buchanan.

“I can’t believe this happened,” he said.

He said it’s difficult for the family to attend the hearings and will be even harder if the Plant and Buchanan cases go to trial, where more evidence will be presented, including pictures. His wife, he said, wants to get the cases completed to get some normality into the family’s home.

“It’s hard for my wife and me. You just have to relive it and relive it,” Woosley said. “It’s like it happened yesterday. I’ve lost my parents, and losing your child, especially the way we lost ours, is not like losing your parents. Parents are not supposed to bury a child.”

Staff writer Mike Emery: (765) 973-4466. Follow him on Twitter at @PI_Emery.