LINTON– A Linton man, 39-year-old Brandon Criss, has been arrested and formally charged with murder, arson, obstruction of justice, and killing a domestic animal in connection with a residential fire that occurred in the early hours of Sunday, June 8. The state plans to seek a habitual offender status.
The investigation began when the Linton Fire Department and Police Department responded to a report of a fire near Southeast D and 6th Streets Southeast in Linton. Upon arrival, first responders located 69-year-old James “David” Higar deceased in the bathroom with “lacerations on neck and shoulder unrelated to the fire,” according to court documents. A dog was also found dead inside the trailer.
Due to the nature of Higar’s injuries, Indiana State Police Bloomington District detectives were contacted, initiating a death investigation.
Witnesses reported seeing Criss covered in blood, and he was arrested Sunday near the Sunoco gas station on A Street Northeast in Linton. According to court documents, a caller advised that Criss had approached someone to take his jacket and knife because “he thought he had just killed someone.” Police located and detained Criss at the gas station and took him to the Linton Police Department for an interview. Criss reportedly told officers that Higar “was good to him” and had given him money for beer.
After obtaining a search warrant for Criss’s cellphone, a photo consistent with the witness’s description was found in the deleted photos on the device. According to court documents, Criss allegedly told an officer, “This was a hate crime against David Higar. He’s a child molester, and it was committed as a hate crime. I don’t want to be in state prison. If I am going to prison for the rest of my life, make it a federal prison. If this is a hate crime, I’ll be going to federal.” Additionally, court documents indicate that a witness told police Criss “had been sexually molested as a child and that he hated child molesters, even though she thought he and Higar were close.”
The Linton Police and Indiana State Police interviewed numerous witnesses who observed Criss with blood on him.
Criss remains in custody at the Greene County Jail without bond. His trial is scheduled for December 2, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. in Greene County Circuit Court.
Authorities are continuing to seek public assistance in this active investigation. Police are asking residents with outdoor cameras, particularly those on the southeast side of Linton, to review their video footage from Saturday, June 7, at 10 p.m. through Sunday, June 8, at 2 a.m. Anyone with video showing human activity during that timeframe is urged to contact the Indiana State Police Bloomington Post at 812-332-4411.
A Probable Cause Affidavit outlines the initial findings and allegations that led to an arrest. Criminal charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
