Joel Thomas Meyer v. State of Indiana

── Joel Thomas Meyer v. State of Indiana ── Court: Indiana Court of Appeals Date: May 12, 2026 Author: Stephen Scheele Category: General FILED May 12 2026, 9:05 am CLERK Indiana Supreme Court Court of Appeals and Tax Court IN THE Court of Appeals of Indiana Joel Thomas Meyer, Appellant-Defendant v. State of Indiana, Appellee-Plaintiff May 12, 2026 Court of Appeals Case No. 24A-CR-3025 Appeal from the Madison Circuit Court The Honorable Angela Warner Sims, Judge Trial Court Cause No. 48C01-2209-F1-2768 Opinion by Judge Scheele Judge May concurs. Chief Judge Tavitas concurs in part and concurs in result in part. Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 24A-CR-3025 | May 12, 2026 Page 1 of 24  Scheele, Judge. Case Summary [1] Throughout the evening and early morning hours of September 16 and 17, 2022, Joel Thomas Meyer drunkenly attacked his fiancée, G.Y., beating her severely. He then slit his forearm with a knife and went outside, leaving a pool of blood in his driveway before returning into the house. Neighbors called police. Responding officers knocked on Meyer’s door and spoke with him, first through his front door and later, with his consent, through the back door. Concerned about his and G.Y.’s well-being, officers eventually entered the home, where they found both Meyer and G.Y. seriously injured. Meyer was charged with and convicted of Level 1 felony attempted murder and Level 3 felony criminal confinement. [2] He now appeals his convictions, arguing the officers’ warrantless entry into his home violated the state and federal constitutions and there is insufficient evidence to support the convictions. We affirm his convictions but remand for correction of the abstract of judgment and sentencing order. 1 Facts and Procedural History [3] Meyer and G.Y. met at a rehabilitation facility in May 2021 and began dating a few months later. Both had struggled with alcoholism for years, and Meyer, a 1 We held an oral argument at the Indiana State House on March 17, 2026. We thank counsel for the high quality of their arguments. Court of Appeals of Indiana | Opinion 24A-CR-3025 | May 12, 2026 Page 2 of 24  veteran, also suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In February 2022, Meyer purchased a home in Pendleton and G.Y. moved in with him. By this point, the relationship had grown toxic. The two relapsed frequently and spent time in various rehabs. Meyer was often verbally and physically abusive and controlling, including demanding G.Y. sign a contract agreeing to “literally do whatever [Meyer] asks so long it’s not immoral or illegal[.]” Tr. Vol. I p. 199. [4] On September 16, G.Y. picked Meyer up from the hospital, where he had been admitted for several days to “detox” from alcohol. Tr. Vol. II p. 198. On the way home, they stopped at a liquor store and Meyer purchased alcohol. Once home, they began drinking and fighting. By the afternoon, the fighting escalated. M