37-year-old Mitchell Andrew Searle has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of various felony offenses coming from a violent crime spree that scared Belleview residents on the night of December 11, 2024.
Judge Peter Brigham imposed the sentence following Searle’s conviction for:
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- Burglary with Battery
- Two counts of Burglary of a Dwelling
- Burglary of a Structure
- Three counts of Criminal Mischief
In addition to the life sentence, Searle received two concurrent 15-year sentences and a five-year concurrent sentence.
A Night of Terror
The tumultuous night began with Corporal Harrington of the Belleview Police Department responding to a suspected burglary at Shepherd’s Lighthouse, a residential institution. As Cpl. Harrington arrived, he noticed the front door open, but screams from a nearby property quickly diverted his attention.
As the officer neared the property, he observed a severe kick to the front door. A victim inside, along with their spouse and baby kid, described the terrible moments after the door was breached.
The victim reported that they armed themselves with a weapon and pointed it at Searle as he approached the threshold, prompting him to flee.
While conversing with the victim, Cpl. Harrington discovered that the suspect had also broken into the next-door neighbor’s house, forcing a victim to run through the rear door to safety. The suspects in all three cases were reported as white men wearing black hoodies.
Arrest and Identification
Prompt law enforcement intervention brought an immediate halt to the string of burglaries. A responding Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy was monitoring the area when he noticed a subject matching the description fleeing towards a local McDonald’s.
As the deputy sought to apprehend the defendant, eventually identified as Searle, he fled to an occupied vehicle in the drive-through line. In his final act of violence, Searle opened the passenger door and punched the female victim inside with his elbow before being apprehended by the deputy.
Searle was positively identified as the burglar after reviewing security footage from Shepherd’s Lighthouse and receiving confirmation from eyewitnesses.
Assistant State Attorney James Moody successfully prosecuted the case and obtained the convictions that resulted in Searle’s life term.
