JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- Christopher Applegate, the southern Indiana man arrested in 2020 after police said he shot a woman in Utica and then led police on an hours-long chase, was found guilty Monday of several charges in the case. 

Applegate was facing numerous charges, including:

  • One count of attempted murder
  • One count of auto theft
  • Two counts of armed robbery
  • One count of robbery
  • One count of criminal mischief damage
  • One count of aggravated battery
  • One count of criminal confinement while armed with a deadly weapon

On Monday, a week after the trial began, it took a jury less than two hours to find Applegate guilty of armed robbery, auto theft, criminal mischief damage and criminal confinement. 

He was found not guilty of the remaining charges. 

After closing arguments, Applegate asked for and was granted permission to address the court. He then waved his rights to be in the courtroom for the verdict. 

"It doesn't surprise me when defendants to these things. I just don't try to figure it out anymore. That's happened to me in a few trials and it's their right to not do that," Clark County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Timothy Gray said. said. "But now it doesn't surprise me. I'm happy that we'll be able to get justice and, you know, a sentence that we're going to be seeking the maximum sentence on."

Col. Scottie Maples with the Clark County Sheriff's Office said after Applegate's July 2020 arrest that he'd shot and wounded a woman on Upper River Road in Utica. Maples said the woman was was taken to University Hospital in Louisville for treatment.

According to court documents, Applegate crashed a vehicle while leaving the scene after the shooting. When a passerby drove up to check on the crash, Applegate reportedly "carjacked" that person's vehicle and immediately crashed it before running away. 

The other driver apparently was not hurt.

Despite Monday's verdict, Applegate's attorney was pleased with the outcome.

"Obviously, we wanted to see if we could get him found not guilty. On the attempted murder, because that's certainly the most major charge that has a penalty range of 20 to 40 years," said Mitchell Harlan, Applegate's defense attorney. "So that would have added a significant amount of time to a sentence if you've been convicted of that."

Applegate is scheduled to be sentenced in April. He's facing up to 45 years in prison.

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