Saunders
An Elizabethtown man has been charged with escape after he tried to flee court following a guilty verdict for attempted murder last week.
Prosecutors charged Nicholas R. Saunders, 20, with escape, a Level 5 felony, in Johnson Superior Court 2 Friday. The sentencing range for a Level 5 felony is between one to six years, with an advisory sentence of three years, according to a Johnson County Prosecutor’s Office news release.
Saunders, formerly of Morgantown, was found guilty of attempted murder, a Level 1 felony, and two counts of pointing a firearm, a Level 6 felony, by a jury last Wednesday. Prosecutors say that on Aug. 7, 2022, Saunders traveled to a Morgantown residence, pulled out a firearm and shot a man at least five times. Saunders pointed a firearm at the man’s wife as well before fleeing the scene.
Saunders was not alone that day, as he was joined by Miranda D. Lawson, 20, of Edinburgh, who knew the male victim. She has also been charged with attempted murder, along with aggravated battery, a Level 3 felony; two counts of pointing a firearm, a Level 6 felony; and false informing, a Class A misdemeanor. Her case is pending.
After the jury returned the guilty verdict against Saunders last week, he appeared agitated and “aggressively” hit a cup of water on the defense table. As deputies approached him, he reportedly stood up, aggressively shoved his chair at the defense table and walked quickly toward two jail deputies — pushing past them and heading toward the courtroom exit. Once he pushed past the jail deputies, he started running and deputies gave chase, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Saunders then entered a hallway in the Johnson County Courthouse North Annex, going through a set of doors to enter a stairwell with deputies behind him. He was rapidly running down the stairs when he rounded a corner and lost his balance, hit the wall and fell to the floor. He was then taken back into custody, the affidavit says.
Saunders left a large hole in the stairwell’s drywall where his body hit the wall when he lost his balance. County maintenance estimates the repair cost to be $100 or less, the affidavit shows.
Saunders remains in custody at the Johnson County jail. An initial hearing has not yet been set for the escape case, but a sentencing hearing is scheduled for the attempted murder case at 1:30 p.m. April 4.
