Nicholas Stanley, a 35-year-old man from northern Indiana, has been charged with the murder of Allen Cogswell.
Cogswell, also 35, was a registered sex offender who had recently been released from prison after serving time for a 2018 child molestation case.
He was released in May 2025, after completing nearly seven years of a 12-year sentence for that crime.
According to court documents, Stanley is related to the victim in that case—and he reportedly wasn’t pleased with Cogswell’s release.
The deadly incident took place on June 24, 2025, at the Daylite Inn in Elkhart.
Witnesses told police they saw a man carrying a long gun looking into Cogswell’s motel room window before knocking on the door.
Moments later, when Cogswell opened it, the man—later identified as Nicholas Stanley—fired multiple shots, killing him instantly.
After the shooting, Stanley fled the scene.
However, investigators later used surveillance footage and license plate cameras to trace his SUV, which had been spotted in the area around the time of the incident.
He was eventually arrested and taken into custody, as per NBC Chicago
 |
| Nicholas Stanley |
In a startling jailhouse interview with
ABC57 News, Stanley confessed to the killing, claiming he acted out of rage and a sense of duty to protect his family.
“I walked in, grabbed my gun, and I drove out to go find him. And then when I found him, I did what I had to. I took him out,” Stanley said. “I don’t feel like I did anything wrong… If the system wants to throw me away, let them. I don’t even care anymore.”
During the interview, Stanley admitted that he had been obsessed with Cogswell ever since he learnt about the 2018 molestation case.
He also revealed that he lost his job following Cogswell’s release, which only fueled his anger..
“As soon as he got out, he wasn’t making it very far,” he told ABC57 news reporter.
Stanley pleaded not guilty at his initial hearing on July 3, 2025 despite his confession.
His jury trial is set for October 6, 2025, with a pretrial conference scheduled for July 31, 2025.
Stanley has since been assigned a public defender and is currently being held in the Elkhart County Jail without bond
The case has divided public opinion.
Some see Stanley as a vigilante taking matters into his own hands, while others argue the legal system failed to protect his family.
Stanley himself expressed frustration with the justice system durig his jailhouse interview, saying:
“People told me, ‘Let the law handle it… He’ll pay for it.’ What happened to that?”
For now, Stanley remains behind bars, awaiting a trial that could see him facing 45 years to life if he is convicted.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
Comments
Post a Comment