(Michigan City, IN) - The body of a 2017 Michigan City murder victim was dismembered and disposed of among various trash cans.
Those are among the latest details in the case against Mark Hallett, 48, who allegedly notified police he was the perpetrator several years following the previously unknown death.
More newly uncovered information reveals that both men were roommates and previously homeless until they were placed into a residence by Housing Opportunities, a group with plans to similarly add more housing in La Porte.
Hallett, 48, charged with Murder and Abuse of Corpse, is currently being held in a Massachusetts jail until he is returned to La Porte County to properly wait for the case to be decided in court.
According to court documents, Hallett called Michigan City Police last year, claiming he killed an old roommate in late November of 2017. Police were unaware of the death because after laying on the basement floor for more than 50 days, the victim was dismembered with a hacksaw and disposed of in trash cans.
La Porte County Prosecutor Sean Fagan said the victim, Paul Gonzales, 64, was also transient.
Hallett told police he thought the victim was stealing his mail and trying to get him evicted from their home in the 1000 block of W. 9th Street. During an argument, Hallett said he hit Gonzales with a crutch and choked him to death.
Charges were filed after police spent roughly one year verifying the suspect’s claims.
Authorities assert that there’s been no trace of Gonzales ever since. A cadaver dog detected traces of decomposition in the pores of the concrete basement floor where Hallett claimed the victim lay until he disposed of him. Per Fagan, the case was bolstered further by a forensic examination of other evidence collected.
Hallett was taken into custody at a home in Massachusetts after a judge reviewing the case ruled there was sufficient evidence to charge him.
Court records also revealed the two men were homeless for quite some time until being placed into the home by the not-for-profit group Housing Opportunities.
Housing Opportunities is behind plans to use a $7.5 million state grant to convert the old Coca-Cola bottling plant on Rumely Street in La Porte into affordable housing for homeless individuals. Residents in the neighborhood, fearing potential safety concerns and declining property values, vocally objected to the plans approved Monday night by the City Council.
The organization also has similar low-income housing in Valparaiso and Portage.
