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Man Accused Of Murdering IU Student Has Record Of Violence

Last updated on Monday, April 27, 2015

(BLOOMINGTON) - The man facing a preliminary charge of murder in the slaying of an Indiana University student Hannah Wilson, has a criminal record of violence against woman.

According to arrest reports 49-year-old Daniel Messel of Bloomington was arrested more than 25 years ago after a girlfriend told police he battered her and on allegations that he beat his grandmother and broke bones in her face.

Messel pleaded guilty to one of three battery charges in 1993 and received a 30-day suspended jail term and six months' probation.

In 1996, he received the maximum eight-year sentence on a felony battery conviction.

In 1995, he was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and endangering persons, according to mycase.in.gov.

Messel's is now charged in the death of Wilson and could appear in court this week.

According to an autopsy report, 22-year-old Wilson, died from blunt force trauma after being struck in the back of the head three or four times.

She also suffered superficial injuries to her hands and arms from attempting to ward off those blows. There was no sign of sexual assault.

Wilson's body was discovered around 8:30 a.m. Friday after a woman driving on Plum Creek Road saw Wilson's body face-down in a vacant lot at State Road 45 and Plum Creek.

Wilson had been dead for 10 hours or less when she was found, according to Brown County Coroner Earl Piper.

Piper said no weapons were found at the crime scene.

Wilson was reported missing Friday afternoon, the Indiana State Police reported.

Wilson, who is originally from Fishers, was a senior at Indiana University and a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority.

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