Austin Kusturin sentenced to 170 years for slaying of Posey Co. couple

EVANSVILLE — A Posey County judge on Thursday sentenced Austin M. Kusturin to serve 170 years in a state prison, the maximum allowable penalty, after Kusturin admitted he shot and killed a married couple in 2021.

Kusturin, 30, was scheduled to stand trial in May on two counts of murder and a slew of other felony offenses, but Kusturin abruptly pleaded guilty just before jurors were set to hear opening arguments.

On May 29, Posey County Judge Craig S. Goedde ordered that Kusturin, a resident of Mount Vernon, Indiana, be remanded into custody until his sentencing hearing.

According to police records, Kusturin shot and killed John and Elizabeth "Betty" Hall, both 74, inside their Posey County home in November 2021. Indiana State Police arrested Kusturin on Nov. 9, 2021, three days after a relative discovered the Halls dead inside their house in the 700 block of Mulberry Street. No one had heard from them since Nov. 4

The ISP linked Kusturin to the double murder through witness testimony, digital evidence, fingerprints, a semi-automatic rifle − among other evidence − and surveillance footage that reportedly showed Kusturin's car had driven past the Halls' home multiple times just hours before they were found dead, according to a sworn affidavit filed in the case.

A fingerprint lifted from John Hall's cellphone also reportedly matched Kusturin's fingerprint, the ISP stated. The Hall's cellphones, which were missing from their home when police arrived, pinged near a Chuckle's gas station sometime after their deaths. A review of the gas station's surveillance footage, according to the ISP, turned up footage of Kusturin.

Prosecutors successfully pushed for maximum sentence

Goedde imposed the 170-year sentence, public court records state. The Posey County Prosecutor's Office had pressed for the court to do just that and sentence Kusturin to serve the maximum number of years allowable under Indiana's sentencing guidelines.

Thomas Clowers, the Posey County Prosecutor, told the Courier & Press that his office was "pleased the court handed down the maximum sentence."

"However, no amount of time is fully sufficient in a case like this," Clowers added. "Today was really about John and Elizabeth Hall; a chance for their family to be heard."

Evansville defense attorney Glenn Grampp is listed in public records as Kusturin's legal counsel. A call to Grampp's law office went unanswered Thursday afternoon.

Kusturin showed "no emotion" throughout the hearing, according to Clowers, a fact the veteran prosecutor found "disturbing."

"To be honest with you, that's what you might expect from someone who would commit a heinous crime like this," Clowers said.

Because the case never moved past the opening stages of a trial − despite years of preparation to put a case before jurors − Clowers said there were still "unanswered questions."

"The only person that has those answers is Austin Kusturin, and he refuses to cooperate," Clowers said. "Just as he has from the beginning of the investigation... He made a statement at one point to investigators that he had heard of people killing someone, selling all their possessions and then selling that victim's house to someone. This is kind of getting into the mind of Austin Kusturin ... He (saw) this as an opportunity for personal gain."

Sentencing caps years-long, heart-wrenching case

The Halls were married in 1970, according to their obituary , which states the pair both graduated from high schools on Evansville's West Side. John Hall served in the Air Force and went on to a long career in marketing and engineering. Betty Hall served as a Posey County extension agent and also worked in media and education.

"To everyone who knew them, they were the sweetest couple and set a wonderful example of life and love," their obituary states. "They will be deeply missed by all who knew them. We, the family, find comfort and assurance in God's promise, 'Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.'"

John and Elizabeth left behind three children, 11 grandchildren, and a large assortment of other family members.

Houston Harwood can be contacted at houston.harwood@courierpress.com .

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Austin Kusturin sentenced to 170 years for slaying of Posey Co. couple