Update (2:10 p.m. on Oct. 17, 2023)

According to court documents, William Tyrone Griffin, Jr. was sentenced to 17 years after he pleaded guilty to robbery last month. Officials said 12 years will be conducted in the Department of Correction while the last five will be on supervised probation.

Original Story:

MUNCIE, Ind. — A Muncie man is facing charges of armed robbery and battery with a deadly weapon in an alleged robbery ending with the victim cut with a kitchen knife.

Police say convicted felon William Tyrone Griffin Jr.,55, has been given many chances even after his recent release from prison. Prosecutors say he should still be in prison but he’s not.

Just after 10 p.m., the night of April 20, Muncie uniform division officers were responding to a web robbery at PDQ Taxi Service on Madison Street. They aren’t running due to COVID-19 but a worker who was also the victim was inside asleep on a sofa.

“They rushed in, described by the victim, they rushed in one was armed with a knife, held a knife to his neck and threatened to kill him. During that time, he was cut by the knife,” said Muncie Police Department, Sgt. Amy Kesler.

Officers immediately responded locating two people near the scene. Police say both had items that belonged to the victim.

“The suspects were at one point seen wearing the victim’s coats. Inside the coats, one of the coats was the victim’s wallet with identification. So, it really doesn’t get much easier for us than that,” said Sgt. Kesler.

Then it got even easier when the victim identified Griffin in a line-up. As an officer interrogated Griffin, they got even more.

“He was actually diligent enough to see that the suspect had what appeared to be dried blood on his hand. And the suspect didn’t seem to be bleeding from anywhere,” said Sgt. Kesler.

According to police, this wasn’t their first run-in with Griffin. Other officers with Muncie Police remember him from crimes committed in the ’90s.

“He was known to be a burglar in our community. burglarizing businesses and homes is mostly what they remember of him,” said Sgt. Kesler.

A number of crimes that include convictions ranging from trespassing, burglary, theft, public intoxication, and impersonation of a public servant. Police say many of the arrests seem to be a result of parole violations.

July 21, 2006, he plead guilty to burglary landing him 15 years in prison after a habitual offender offense was added due to his criminal history.

Documents show he was released to a community program in April 2013, then release to supervised parole. Prosecutors say at some point he was sent back to prison for violating his parole. According to the Indiana Department of Corrections website, his projected release date is September 21, 2020. So, he should be in prison.

Instead, he’s in the Delaware County Jail.

“It’s a really good case. It’s really solid. Not a lot of planning, a lot of mistakes were made, and it just made a better case for us,” said Sgt. Kesler.

Griffin is currently being held on a $50,000 bond. His court hearing is scheduled for May 7, 2020.