WILKINSON, Ind. — A Hancock County man is accused of repeatedly abusing a woman and threatening to end her life.
Ralph C. Atwell Jr., 55, of Wilkinson is charged with criminal confinement resulting in serious injury, a Level 3 felony, along with domestic battery, strangulation, criminal recklessness and obstruction of justice.
According to court documents, a Hancock County sheriff's deputy helped the victim flee Atwell's home on East 550 North in February after she called 911 asking for help.
Atwell reportedly is extremely paranoid with the deputy noting cameras all over his property.
The victim told the deputy that Atwell won't let her speak to other people and monitors her every move, even disabling her cell phone when he knows she's trying to call someone.
The deputy helped the victim escape Atwell's home where he made note of the victim's frightened behavior. He noted how she "displayed the typical signs of a domestic violence victim."
Through further digging, the deputy learned Atwell had a history of abusing the victim and even faced charges in Rush County. The victim told police that Atwell had been telling her what to say to the court in able to get his charges dropped.
Incidents of Atwell's abuse included both verbal and physical abuse, court documents detail, with Atwell not only reportedly hitting and choking the woman but threatening to kill her on occasions. Atwell also would display and wave around guns while threatening violence against the victim, police said.
Around a month before the victim called police for help, Hancock County sheriff's deputies were called to Atwell's home due to the man reportedly suffering from hallucinations and claiming he kept seeing people on his property who weren't actually there.
Police ended up being granted permission to seize 14 firearms from Atwell's home for safekeeping.
Court records show that a warrant was issued for Atwell's abuse charges on April 25. Atwell ended up being arrested but bonded out of jail on May 10. The court issued a no contact order barring him from seeing the victim.