Englert: 'God has made me a new person'

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - A Lafayette man was sentenced Tuesday afternoon to 80 years in the Department of Corrections for the July 2011 murder of Jeremy Gibson.  

Before Tippecanoe County Superior Court 1 Judge Randy Williams read 21-year-old Darren Englert his sentence, he expressed to Englert how he found it "horrifically ironic" that he has the Grim Reaper tattooed on his arm because it's the "personification of death."

Englert was found guilty in November 2012 on multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit murder in the beating death of 26-year-old Jeremy Gibson.

Gibson's body was found buried in a field on County Road 500 North in Tippecanoe County after acid was poured over Gibson's body to hide his identity.

In March 2012, Englert pleaded guilty to the murder but later submitted a letter to the court claiming he was not of sound mind when he entered his plea. The judge rejected the request.

Tuesday, several people took the stand including a witness for the defense.

Dr. VanDerwater-Piercy, a Lafayette psychologist, testified that after nearly 9 hours of tests and evaluations he concluded Englert suffered from a "Dependent Personality Disorder."

Dr. VanDerwater-Piercy suggested Englert was a "follower" and "dependent" on Antonio Williams, who was also charged with the murder of Gibson.

During his testimony, Dr. VanDerwater-Piercy also testified that tests showed it was "highly unlikely" Englert would have initiated the murder on his own. 

Englert's grandmother also took the stand and read a letter to the Gibson family stating "she was extremely sorry" for what her grandson did to their loved one.

She went on to explain how Englert was "afraid" of Williams and that's why he participated in the murder.

She ended by expressing how her grandson wasn't a "cold-blooded murderer" and asked the court to consider not sentencing Englert to the maximum time in prison because of his 1-year-old child. 

Gibson's aunt took the stand next. She reminisced about when she and her husband took Jeremy on camping trips while he was growing up, and how he was always a "loving young man."

With much emotion, she explained how she and the rest of the family will never have closure because "they weren't able to bury Gibson the way they should have."

Gibson's sister, Jennifer Gibson-Sargent, was the last to take the stand during the nearly three hour sentencing.

She shared memories of Jeremy and repeatedly spoke about his two sons she now takes care of.

Gibson-Sargent looked across the courtroom to Englert and told him the "only good thing" Englert ever did was bring "two beautiful children into this world."

Both Gibson-Sargent and Gibson's aunt asked the judge to consider the maximum of 87 years behind bars.

Earlier this month, 21-year-old Carolann Clear was sentenced to 44 years in prison for her role in Gibson's death.

Clear admitted in court she helped murder Gibson.

Last February Clear pleaded guilty to a pair of felony charges, conspiracy to commit murder and fraud.

Antonio Williams was also charged with the murder of Jeremy Gibson.

He died in jail after overdosing on methadone in January 2012.

Before Judge Williams read Englert his sentence, Englert broke down and apologized to his own family for what he's put them through. He went on to apologize to the Gibson family and said he is "ashamed" of himself.

"God has made me a new person," Englert said.