Indiana Supreme Court Upholds Life Sentence for Bartholomew County Murder

Anthony Wayne Carter convicted of killing girlfriend Ashley E. Neville in 2023

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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The Indiana Supreme Court has unanimously upheld the conviction and life without parole sentence of Anthony Wayne Carter, 52, for the 2023 murder of his girlfriend Ashley E. Neville, 40, in Bartholomew County. Carter was found guilty of shooting Neville in the head and then suffocating her with a plastic bag, which the court ruled was an intentional act to prolong her suffering.

Why it matters

This case highlights the gravity of domestic violence crimes and the importance of ensuring perpetrators face the full consequences of their actions, even when they attempt to argue mitigating circumstances. The Supreme Court's decision affirms that Carter's actions went beyond a simple homicide and constituted torture, warranting the harshest possible sentence.

The details

In April 2023, Carter shot Neville in the head at her home near Azalia, Indiana, and then suffocated her with a plastic bag, which the court ruled was an intentional act to prolong her suffering. Carter had argued that the shooting was accidental and that he only hastened Neville's death, but the court rejected this claim, stating that "a defendant who kills an already mortally wounded victim cannot escape culpability by arguing that the victim was going to die anyway." The court also found ample evidence that Carter's actions, including methodically tightening the plastic bag over Neville's face with duct tape, were done "for coercive and sadistic purposes" rather than to end her suffering.

  • In April 2023, Carter murdered Ashley E. Neville at her home near Azalia, Indiana.
  • In October 2024, Carter had to be dragged out of a Bartholomew County courtroom after arguing with the judge during his sentencing hearing.
  • In a recent decision, the Indiana Supreme Court unanimously upheld Carter's conviction and life without parole sentence.

The players

Anthony Wayne Carter

A 52-year-old Indianapolis man convicted of murdering his girlfriend Ashley E. Neville in 2023 and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Ashley E. Neville

A 40-year-old woman who was murdered by her boyfriend Anthony Wayne Carter in 2023.

Indiana Supreme Court

The state's highest court that unanimously upheld Carter's conviction and life sentence.

Bartholomew Superior Court 1

The local court that sentenced Carter to life without parole, citing the torture aggravator.

Judge James Worton

The Bartholomew Superior Court 1 judge who presided over Carter's sentencing hearing and described the evidence showing Carter intended to prolong Neville's suffering.

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What they’re saying

“Carter argues that the asphyxiation — his securing the bag over Neville's head — was not an actual or proximate cause of Neville's death because she would have died from the gunshot wound anyway. But Carter's argument is flawed. A defendant who kills an already mortally wounded victim cannot escape culpability by arguing that the victim was going to die anyway.”

— Justice Derek R. Molter, Indiana Supreme Court Justice (therepublic.com)

“By Carter's own description, he began using the gun to intimidate Neville, threatening her and demanding that it was 'time to tell the truth.' After shooting her and then strangling her with his hands, he eventually suffocated her with a bag over her head, meticulously tightening it over her face with duct tape. These acts were not, as Carter claimed, 'acts to end the suffering,' but rather 'acts to cause more suffering.'”

— Justice Derek R. Molter, Indiana Supreme Court Justice (therepublic.com)

“I've never seen a person more deserving of life in prison without parole.”

— Judge James Worton, Bartholomew Superior Court 1 Judge (therepublic.com)

What’s next

The case is now closed, with the Indiana Supreme Court's unanimous decision upholding Carter's life sentence.

The takeaway

This tragic case underscores the need for stronger protections and support for victims of domestic violence, as well as the importance of ensuring that perpetrators of such heinous crimes face the full consequences of their actions, even when they attempt to argue mitigating circumstances.