McGuff to serve an additional 20 years for Putnam crime

A Reelsville man was recently sentenced to a total of 40 years in prison for violent crimes committed in both Putnam and Clay counties.

On Thursday, Putnam Circuit Court Judge Matt Headley sentenced Jon Luke McGuff, 26, to a 20-year sentence after McGuff entered a guilty plea to Level 2 felony burglary for a February incident at a Greencastle apartment.

This is in addition to the 20-year sentence he received last month in Clay County for the shooting death of 48-year-old William Matherly of Cloverdale. McGuff was originally charged with murder for that May 2023 incident in Brazil but pled guilty to the reduced charge of manslaughter.

Due to a court error in Clay County involving speedy trials, McGuff was released from custody on Dec. 15, 2023. While he was out awaiting trial, he acquired additional violent criminal charges.

Allegedly, around 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, McGuff was one of two suspects involved in the shooting of Carlie Capps III, Greencastle, during an apartment robbery and fleeing the scene with the victim’s car.

On Aug. 1, he entered a guilty plea to the most serious of the five Putnam charges he was facing — Level 2 felony burglary with a deadly weapon.

The other charges in the case — Level 3 felony aggravated battery, Level 3 felony robbery resulting in bodily injury, Level 5 felony criminal recklessness, and Level 6 felony auto theft — were all dismissed.

Co-defendant Skyler H. Pintor, 31, Fillmore, also plans to enter a change of plea during a hearing this Thursday. Pintor is charged with four of the five counts McGuff had faced, minus the aggravated battery charge.

McGuff is set to serve his sentences consecutively, thus the full 40 years. Even with good behavior, he should serve at least 30 years.