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Charges dropped in 2020 Lake Monroe case

By Holden Abshier & Mitch Legan

Posted May 19, 2022

Vauhxx Booker video still

Sean Purdy (red shirt) holds Vauhxx Booker (kneeling, khaki shorts) against a tree on July 4th. (Vauhxx Booker)

Charges against Vauhxx Booker, Sean Purdy, and Jerry Cox have been dropped, almost two years after the original incident at Lake Monroe.

Booker, a former Bloomington resident and activist, took to Facebook in July 2020 to describe what he says was an attempted lynching by a group of white men. The post, which has been viewed millions of times, garnered national and international media coverage.  

Department of Natural Resources officers determined insufficient cause to arrest anyone. The DNR later released a report suggesting charges against Booker and two of the white men. 

Indianapolis-based WISH-TV and The Associated Press reported in March that the charges against Sean Purdy, Jerry Cox and Vauhxx Booker had been dropped. Special prosecutor Sonia Leerkamp refuted those claims at the time.  

READ MORE: Prosecutor: Charges in Lake Monroe case not dropped, restorative justice process ongoing 

This is the first-time restorative justice has been used in a criminal case in Indiana. Leerkamp called it a “study in human nature,” and applauded everyone involved.  

“Trying to bring everything together to orchestrate this kind of resolution was challenging and obviously time consuming,” she said. “But the bottom line is, I think it was very worthwhile.” 

She said the individuals involved must be willing to undertake a process like this for it to work. 

“Everyone realized with all the racial tensions that have been going on in our country, both when this incident happened and since then and before then, that trying to resolve this kind of situation through a criminal trial was not ever going to produce a very good outcome.” 

Leerkamp said the restorative justice process has merit and should be considered a viable option for appropriate cases in the future. However, she noted the process is not perfect and still has wrinkles to iron out.  

Booker provided WFIU/WTIU News the same statement he released in court documents. 

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