The man accused of murdering his mother in her Zionsville home in April has been moved to the custody of the Indiana Department of Corrections.
Graham Bixler, 31, pleaded not guilty to the murder of his mother, Kristin Bixler, whose body was discovered at her home on Old 106th Street April 8.
During an Aug. 19 hearing, Bixler was ordered moved from the Boone County Jail to the custody of the DOC. Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood said the hearing determined there was a safety issue housing Bixler in the county jail. The DOC will determine where he will be placed until trial.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Kristin Bixler was killed sometime between April 3 and April 7. Graham Bixler was arrested April 9 following the discovery of his mother’s body. Kristin Bixler’s cause of death was determined to be blunt-force trauma and sharp-force injuries.
According to court documents, Kristin Bixler’s mother, Susan Smith, called the Zionsville Police Department April 8 to request a welfare check, stating that she had not heard from her daughter since April 2. Smith stated Kristin Bixler had told her mother that she was fearful of her son Graham Bixler. An investigation at the property yielded the discovery of the body.
An order for a competency evaluation was granted in July.
Bixler’s trial is tentatively scheduled to begin Oct. 16.
