KELLY ARMSTRONG - 28 yo (2011) - Kokomo IN

The Guardian Angels are stepping in to help Kelly Armstrong's
family and friends find the Kokomo mother of four. Armstrong, 28, has
been missing since August. The group will be handing out missing person
flyers and asking questions of the public and businesses who may have
seen her.

"I feel like there's a hole I can't fill," said Shelly Rush, Armstrong's sister.
Armstrong's live-in boyfriend, who is behind bars for apparently cutting
off his ankle monitor, has been questioned by police, but no suspects
have been named. It is another reason why Armstrong's loved ones have
reached out to groups like the Guardian Angels who are willing to put in
the time to help out.

"She's important to a family and to us and
wed like to find her and bring her home for the holidays," said Randy
Howard, leader of the Guardian Angels of Indianapolis.
The Guardian Angels also recruited Daddy Real Entertainment.
The local entertainment company is producing a video for Youtube at no charge to the family.

"Certainly, a lot of questions, very few answers, and often times we know the
public plays a large role in helping solve these cases," said Jeffrey
Clarke, Daddy Real Entertainment General Manager.

Rush admitted her sister has struggled with some personal issues, but she said she
would never walk away from her life and her children.

"I want to bring her home. Whatever happened to her or wherever she's at, she
deserves to come home to her family. We love her, and we miss her," said Rush.

The Guardian Angels handed out flyers Friday night from 5 to 10pm in Kokomo.
Anyone who wants to help in the search efforts or poster distribution is
encouraged to join an already growing group of people who will meet on
Saturday and Sunday. The group will meet at Phi Delta Kappas at 2401
Saratoga Avenue, Kokomo, Indiana, 46902. On Saturday they will meet from
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sunday, they will meet from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If you have any information about the case you are asked to call Kokomo Police or Crimestoppers at 1800-222-tips.


http://www.fox59.com/news/crime/wxin-kelly-armstrong-guardian-angels-entertainment-group-help-in-search-for-missing-kokomo-woman-kelly-armstrong-20111111,0,3636872.column

Kelly Armstrong, 28, a young mother from Kokomo, Indiana is missing.
Her family contacted the police after not hearing from their daughter
over a period of time. It is not known what date she went missing but
it is known that she would never go this long without making contact
with her family, friends and certainly would not have left her child
behind. Her family fears the worst and ask that the public please
help. Kelly was living with her boyfriend, Travis Funke, and since her
disappearance police arrested Travis on an "escape charge." Authorities
said he cut off his ankle monitoring bracelet a judge ordered him to
wear for a driving conviction. He is not facing charges in connection
with Kelly's disappearance. Meanwhile, family members are trying to stay
strong and are desperately seeking information on the whereabouts of
Kelly. Crimestoppers is offering a reward.

Missing: August 2011 From: Kokomo, IN
Height: 5'2" – 5’3” Weight: 110lbs
Hair: Auburn red or dyed blonde
Tattoos: Heart tattoo on thigh that says "Steve" and a tribal tattoo on lower back.

If info, please contact the call Kokomo Police, (765) 459-5101 or Crimestoppers at (800) 222-TIPS, your local police or 9-1-1.

Determined Family Continues Search For Missing Woman

KOKOMO, Ind. -- Worried family members of a
missing Kokomo woman searched rural areas of Howard County on Sunday for
traces of their 28-year-old relative.
Kelly Armstrong’s family said she was last seen in August and they are determined to find her, RTV6's Myrt Price reported.Relatives said they believe she is in danger because she left everything behind, including her children.
Armstrong’s sister, Shelly Rush, said she fears the worst has happened."I
was calling her and not getting an answer. I was sending police over
there to do welfare checks on her, with no response. After a while,
things didn't seem right, so I reported her missing,” Rush said.Family
members said Armstrong’s boyfriend was the last person to see her and
although he is currently in jail on an unrelated charge, he hasn’t been
much help.“He is currently in jail on an unrelated charge, and he's not being cooperative,” Rush said.Volunteer Kris Morris was moved by the family’s efforts and has been helping with their search efforts.
"It broke my heart, and I've got three children and a 12-year-old
daughter. I can’t imagine the feeling that (her children) go through
every night trying to go to bed, wondering what happened and where she
is," Morris said.
Volunteers said the search can be frustrating at times, but they said
even though it’s disappointing, they're not about to give up."We’ve
searched fields, woods, drainage ditches and waterways. We aren't
leaving any stones uncovered. We're looking everywhere,” Rush said."We won’t stop until we find her. Whatever the outcome is, we will find her," Morris said.Police said they’ve questioned Armstrong’s boyfriend, but he has not been named a suspect.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/29760281/detail.html

Sister Of Missing Indiana Mother Kelly Armstrong Calls For Help


The sister of a missing mother of one from Kokomo, Ind., says she
fears for her sister's safety and is appealing to the public for help.


The missing woman, Kelly Armstrong, 27, has not been seen for about six weeks, said her sister, Shelly Rush of Logansport.


"We have gone several weeks in the past without talking, so I thought
maybe she is just doing her thing, working, whatever," Rush told The
Huffington Post. "But as time went on with no contact, I realized
something was wrong."


Armstrong and her boyfriend, Travis Funke, live together with their
eighteen-month-old child. According to Rush, she has reached out to
Funke several times but has been unable to get a definitive answer as to
her sister's whereabouts.


"Her boyfriend always has an excuse," Rush said. "He will say she is
out and about with so-and-so, and he can't get a hold of them, or that
she is working, but he's not sure where. It is a different answer every
time."


After visiting her sister's local hangouts and talking to her friends
and neighbors, Rush came to the conclusion that nobody has seen
Armstrong in about six weeks. Rush said that she sent the Kokomo Police
Department to her sister's home to conduct a welfare check. When they
were unable to make contact with Armstrong, Rush filed a missing person
report.


"The police are over there now waiting on a search warrant because he
is not answering the phone or door and they have a
one-and-a-half-year-old baby," she said. "They're trying to figure out,
because he is on house arrest, where he could have gone."
Calls made today by The Huffington Post to a number listed for Armstrong and Funke went unanswered.


Kokomo police declined to discuss the case.


"I don't have any information for you at all. I can't confirm
anything at this point," Officer Dave Trine told The Huffington Post.


Armstrong has auburn hair and brown eyes. She is 5'2" tall and weighs approximately 120 pounds.


"My sister is very loved and missed," Rush said. "She is not one to go this long without reaching out to her family."


Anyone with information is asked to contact Kokomo police at 765-459-5101.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/27/kelly-armstrong_n_983658.html

Where is Kelly Armstrong?

That's what her sister still asks, more than five months after Armstrong disappeared from her Kokomo, Ind., home.

Shelly Rush said she wants her 28-year-old sister found, no matter the circumstances.


"I just want to bring her home, one way or the other," Rush told The
Huffington Post. "Wherever she is at, whatever condition she is in, I just want her home."

Armstrong, mother of a year-old son, has been missing since August 2011.
She and her boyfriend, Travis Funke, lived together with their baby.
Rush said family members became concerned after not hearing from
Armstrong and not getting clear answers from Funke.

Rush said she called the Kokomo Police Department
to check on her sister's welfare. After officers were unable to make
contact with Armstrong, Rush filed a missing person report.

Authorities later searched Armstrong's home. They found blood-stained
carpeting, but found neither Funke nor the couple's child. It's unclear
whether the carpet stains are related to Armstrong's disappearance.

According to Theindychannel.com, Funke, 27, was arrested on Sept. 28, 2011. He had been on house arrest
in an unrelated case, but allegedly cut off his ankle monitor. He has been charged with escape.
The baby has been located and placed in protective custody.

Kokomo police declined to discuss the case.

"We're still actively looking for her. That's the only thing I can comment on at this time," said police Maj. Brian Seldon.

Rush said police will not discuss the investigation with anyone, including the family.

"I call them and I don't get a return call," Rush said. "I understand
the investigation is open, but we would like to know what's going on. I
reported her missing for a reason. I need their help for a reason and I expect them to help."

Rush added: "They had the nerve to tell my dad they could not give us
information because we leak it to the media. The media does not even
cover this story, so I don't even know what information they are talking
about that has supposedly been leaked."

WATCH: (Story Continues Below(
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/10/kelly-armstrong-missing_n_1195098.html

Kelly Armstrong's Family Outraged Over Manslaughter Charge: 'That's Not Justice'


Authorities in north-central Indiana have charged Travis Funke in the
death of Kelly Armstrong, a mother of one who was reported missing in
September. The latest development, however, is less than ideal,
according to family members with whom The Huffington Post spoke.


"He was charged with voluntary manslaughter. They said her death
occurred 'under a sudden heat.' He faces 45 years, with 10 suspended,
but could be out in 17. No, that's not justice. That's not justice at
all. We still don't even have my sister to bury her," said Armstrong's
sister, Shelly Rush.


Armstrong's father, David Armstrong, is equally upset by the manslaughter charge -- something he feels is a slap in the face.


"I just don't think [the authorities] handled this case correctly and
properly from the beginning," Armstrong said. "This is not a case of
manslaughter. It was premeditated murder."


Armstrong, mother of a 2-year-old son, has been missing since August 2011.
She and Funke lived together with their baby. Rush said family members
became concerned after not hearing from Armstrong and not getting clear
answers from Funke.


Rush said she called the Kokomo Police Department to check on her
sister's welfare. After officers were unable to make contact with
Armstrong, Rush filed a missing person report on Sept. 26.


"The next day they went to the trailer with a search warrant," David
Armstrong said. "They went in the trailer. Kelly was not there but they
found blood in the trailer -- supposedly from Funke cutting his wrist.
Attorneys I have spoken to since then said that the trailer should have
been sealed and considered a crime scene, but [police] did not do that."


Funke, 27, was arrested on an unrelated warrant on Sept. 28.
He had been on house arrest for an unrelated case, but allegedly cut
off his ankle monitor and had cut one of his wrists several times,
causing it to bleed.


"Three days after [Funke's] arrest, some teenagers broke in the back
door of their trailer and had a party," Armstrong said. "We don't know
what they took. The following week I went to the trailer. There were
three policemen there. I asked what they were doing and they said
Funke's mom was in the trailer getting some of his stuff. I saw three
suitcases sitting in the middle of the floor [and noticed] the washing
machine was running."
In a probable cause affidavit filed Tuesday by Howard County
Prosecutor Mark McCann, it is stated that investigators interviewed
Funke's cellmate on Oct. 7. The man is identified in court documents as
Daniel Wagner. The inmate allegedly told police that "Funke told him
that he killed Kelly Armstrong and he was concerned about evidence that
could still be in their trailer," the affidavit states.


The affidavit makes no mention of an application for a search warrant following Wagner's alleged statements.


On Nov. 2, investigators interviewed a friend of Funke's who said
Funke told him he had killed Armstrong with a hammer. The friend said he
saw bloodstains in the couple's trailer and said that Funke had asked
him to help dispose of evidence. The friend said he refused, according
to the affidavit.


After investigators spoke with Funke's friend, they secured a search
warrant for the trailer. According to the affidavit, detectives found a
green-handled hammer that Funke's friend had described as the alleged
murder weapon. Investigators also located "two large dark stains on the
carpet in the south bedroom and two large dark stains on the carpet in
the living room." The stains were collected and sent off for evidence.
It was later revealed the stains were blood that was a 99.9 percent
match for Armstrong.


"Why did they wait until November to get a warrant to go in that
trailer? Why did they not do anything after his cellmate told them he
had confessed? The [blood stains] on the carpet, walls and everything --
those should have been found immediately," David Armstrong said.


Kokomo police declined to discuss details of the case Wednesday and
referred calls to McCann, the Howard County Prosecutor. Contacted by The
Huffington Post, McCann declined to comment.


According to the affidavit, police interviewed Funke on Jan. 6 with
his attorney present. During that interview, he allegedly told
investigators he killed Armstrong around the first of July.


"[Funke] stated that he and Kelly had been fighting for three days
... Funke stated that he fell asleep on the couch and he awoke to Kelly
hitting the couch with a hammer. Funke stated that he believes that
Kelly hit him on the head with the hammer and knocked him out. Funke
stated that, when he came to, Kelly was dead on the floor and bleeding
from the head. Funke said that he has memories of hitting her in the
head with a hammer but thought that it was a dream," the affidavit
reads.


Funke allegedly said he placed a plastic bag on Armstrong's head,
wrapped her in a tarp and put her in a trash tote. The garbage container
was supposedly picked up later that same day.


Looking through records from the trash pickup company, authorities
determined Armstrong's body had likely been placed in the trash can on
July 8. Investigators checked logs at the Wabash Valley Landfill in
Wabash -- the waste facility where the garbage was dumped that day --
and spent six days sifting through 6,000 tons of trash. They were unable
to locate Armstrong's remains.
David Armstrong said he doubts Funke's version of events and said he
believes police spent nearly a week searching the wrong spot in the
landfill. According to Armstrong, his daughter was alive well after July
8. The distraught father said he has proof to back that up.


"We have phone records that show on July 20 [and] 22 and [on] Aug. 2,
Kelly called my daughter Shelly," Armstrong said. Because of that
information, the dump logs police used to define the search area would
have pointed them toward the wrong location, Armstrong explained.


"Police have officially stopped looking for her," Rush added. "My
problem is they have not found any part of my sister. They have not
found one [human] bone, but they found chicken bones and steak bones."


Rush said she is dismayed by what she perceives as a lack of
sensitivity on behalf of members of the police department. She said she
experienced insensitivity recently when talking to Kokomo Police Capt. Teresa Galloway.


"Galloway told me I have to accept the fact that I may never find my
sister. I told her that was unacceptable and she said I was being
unreasonable -- that I cannot expect them to find all of my sister's
remains. I said 'I'm not asking you to find all of my sister, I'm asking
you to find some of my sister so I can bury her.' She said, 'Well this
is the way things are going to be and you're just going to have to
accept the facts.'"


Galloway did not deny making the statement to Rush.
"Well, that's always a possibility ... that you might not find somebody," Galloway told HuffPost.


According to Kelly Jolkowski, president and founder of the Omaha, Neb.-based nonprofit Project Jason, it is not uncommon to see an emotional disconnect occur between law enforcement and families of the missing.


"It's something we hear about now and then," said Jolkowski, whose
organization assists the families of missing adults and children.


"There is a tremendous amount of emotion involved in a missing person
case," Jolkowski continued. "Authorities really need to think about
what they are saying before they say it. They should ask themselves, 'Is
it a helpful statement? Is it a harmful statement? Is it potentially
harmful?' If so, let's not say it. There is a balance that can be struck
between providing the information needed and considering the emotional
state of the families," Jolkowski said.


Incidentally, Jolkowski is currently attending a conference about
missing persons being held at Fox Valley Technical Institute in
Wisconsin. The conference provides training for law enforcement and
those who work on behalf of the families of missing persons.


"Sensitivity training should be required for all members of law
enforcement," Jolkowski said. "Law enforcement will then be able to
better understand what families can be going through."


While Armstrong's family is upset about the way their loved one's
case has been handled, they are more concerned right now with locating
her remains.


"She is laying out there somewhere and we need to find her," Rush
said. "It's going to cost my family a lot of money to bring in
professionals to continue searching, but we have to do it."


People interested in helping search or donating funds can do so at Operationfindkelly.yolasite.com. The family also maintains a Facebook page devoted to the case.


Funke, who is being held on a $500,000 bond, will appear in Howard
Superior Court on Feb. 28 to face his voluntary manslaughter charge.


Anyone with information is asked to contact Kokomo police at 765-459-5101.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/23/kelly-armstrong-manslaughter-charge_n_1295958.html

April 15, 2012
Search continues for missing Kokomo woman

Kokomo, Ind.— Kelly Armstrong's family is determined to continue their own search for their missing loved one.

Private investigator, Mark Harper has volunteered the help and
expertise of his company, MJA Investigations, to the Armstrong's
search. This weekend they are focusing on Wildcat Creek near
Burlington, west of Kokomo.

Harper says they are hoping to
find even the smallest clue, "We're looking for a trash bag that got
hung up, clothing that might have got hung up."

These searchers
go on with heavy hearts believing 28-year-old Armstong is already
dead. After she went missing last summer, Kokomo Police conducted their
own search and investigation leading to Armstrong's live-in boyfriend,
34-year-old Travis Funke. He was arrested and charged with voluntary
manslaughter after confessing to killing her and putting her body in a
trash bag. Due to inconsistencies in Funke's confession, Armstrong's
remains have yet to be found.
"He needs to just man up, quit being a darn coward and tell us where she's at," Armstrong's father, David Armstrong said.

Now that MJA Investigations is involved in the case, "I interviewed
him myself and got a stern reaction when i mentioned the water," Harper
said.

That led the search to Wildcat Creek, but the family's
search needs to be funded. Armstrong's sister, Shelly Rush, is leading
the fundraising effort.

"We are out here trying to raise money for the search and recovery of my sister's remains," Rush says.

The family is on its own because police have ended their search. Rush
says,"They gave up. They said they were out of resources. That I was
going to have to accept the fact that I may never find my sister and I
find that unacceptable."

Now the family must search on two
fronts, one in the field and the other for funds, to finally put Kelly
Armstrong to rest. David Armstrong said, "We just want a final resting
place. That's all we're looking for."

The Armstrong Family will hold a picnic on April 28th at Highland Park in Kokomo to help fund their search costs.

http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-search-continues-for-missing-kokomo-woman-20120415,0,1556823.story

Suspect faces 35 years if judge accepts plea deal
As part of the deal, Funke must say under oath where her remains are located.

07/03/2012
A man who admitted to killing a Kokomo woman has submitted a
plea deal, but a judge must approve the deal before the man can be
sentenced.
Travis Funke was in court Tuesday. He’s admitted to police that he killed Kelly Armstrong, but her body has never been found.
As part of the deal, Funke must say under oath where her remains are located.
Funke has previously led police to a local landfill but a search came up empty.
His sentencing has been set for August 7. He faces a sentence of 35 years in prison.
http://www.fox59.com/news/wxin-suspect-faces-35-years-if-judge-accepts-plea-deal-20120703,0,3931956.column

Father claims prosecutor failed to tell family about killer's plea deal
A family said they found out about their daughter's killer accepting a plea deal by reading the newspaper.

By Fox59
9:59 p.m. EDT, August 1, 2012

Indianapolis - A family said they found out about their daughter's killer accepting a plea deal by reading the newspaper.

Kelly Armstrong's father said he never heard about Travis Funke accepting a plea deal with Howard County prosecutors. In it, Funke admitted to killing Armstrong last July in Kokomo.

Armstrong's father said prosecutors broke Indiana code by not telling them, and is going to take this to the Indiana Supreme Court.

As part of the plea deal, Funke must say under oath where Armstrong’s body is located. He will receive 35 years in prison.

http://www.fox59.com/news/missing/wxin-father-claims-prosecutor-failed-to-tell-family-about-killers-plea-deal-20120801,0,6776082.column

Kelly Armstrong's Family: Plea Bargain Uses Victim's Son As 'A Pawn'

Posted: 08/02/2012 7:07 pm Updated: 08/03/2012 4:08 pm
The relatives of Kelly Armstrong said they are being revictimized after prosecutors offered Armstrong's boyfriend, who police said confessed to her murder, a plea deal that recommends the couple's 2-year-old live with the man's relatives.

"They are using my sister's little boy as a pawn. He took her from us and now he is trying to take my nephew too," Armstrong's sister, Shelly Rush, told The Huffington Post.

"The prosecutor never told us what was in the plea agreement. We had to read it in the newspaper," added Armstrong's father, David Armstrong.

Kelly Armstrong, 28, disappeared in August 2011. She and 34-year-old Travis Funke lived together with their baby in Kokomo, about 50 miles north of Indianapolis. Rush said family members became concerned after not hearing from Armstrong without a clear explanation from Funke. Rush filed a missing person report on Sept. 26, 2011.

Funke was arrested two days later on an unrelated warrant for cutting off a house-arrest monitoring ankle bracelet he wore for operating a vehicle after a lifetime suspension, according to police. Authorities interviewed Funke about Armstrong Jan. 6. During the interview, he told investigators he killed Armstrong around July 1, 2011.

"[Funke] stated that he and Kelly had been fighting for three days ... Funke stated that he fell asleep on the couch and he awoke to Kelly hitting the couch with a hammer. Funke stated that he believes that Kelly hit him on the head with the hammer and knocked him out. Funke stated that, when he came to, Kelly was dead on the floor and bleeding from the head. Funke said that he has memories of hitting her in the head with a hammer but thought that it was a dream," the case affidavit reads.

According to the affidavit, Funke allegedly said he placed a plastic bag on Armstrong’s head, wrapped her in a tarp and put her in a trash tote. The garbage container was supposedly picked up later that same day and the contents were dumped at Wabash Valley Landfill in Wabash. Authorities spent several days sifting through rubbish at the landfill but were unable to locate Armstrong's remains.

In February, Howard County prosecutor Mark McCann charged Funke with voluntary manslaughter.

As part of the proposed plea arrangement, Funke is required to give a "full, honest and truthful statement, under oath, to law enforcement" about the circumstances surrounding Armstrong's death. In return, prosecutors have offered to drop two lesser felony charges pending against Funke. A son he and Armstrong had together, who now has cancer, is also listed as an incentive.

"Although the defendant acknowledges and understands that the state of Indiana has no authority to bind the Department of Family and Children or the court presiding over the issue of the placement of defendant's minor child, the state of Indiana would agree to cooperate with DFC in an attempt to have the defendant's child placed with the defendant's family," the plea agreement recommends.

Contacted by HuffPost, McCann declined to comment on the recommendation.

Crime victim advocate Andy Kahan said that in roughly 20 years of working with crime victims he has never heard of a plea agreement with a child custody stipulation.

"This is highly unusual," Kahan told The Huffington Post. "It would behoove the district attorney's office to sit down with the Armstrong family in a private meeting and give them some answers. They deserve it. They are owed explanations as to what the plea deal involves. They should let the family know where they are coming from on this."

Seattle attorney and legal analyst Anne Bremner said she too finds the agreement unusual, especially considering the criminal court has jurisdiction only over the accused.

"It seems that the defendant wanted this as part of the plea bargain and the DA decided to include it, despite their lack of jurisdiction or authority," Bremner told HuffPost. "Clearly, Kelly's family should have been included or at least consulted. [The district attorney's office] has no power to do anything [about child custody] and shouldn't have."

Armstrong's family considers the proposed plea agreement a slap in the face. "They're just trying to sweep this away now," David Armstrong said. "They have a confession, so they just want a conviction so they can be done with the case."

Armstrong and Rush have long been critical of the investigation.

According to Armstrong, authorities did nothing when they went to his daughter's trailer the day after she was reported missing and found blood inside. He said they took no action on Oct. 7, 2011, when Funke's cellmate supposedly told police that Funke had admitted killing Armstrong and was "concerned about evidence that could still be in their trailer," according to the affidavit.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/02/kelly-armstrong-plea-bargain_n_1734751.html

Poster's note: There is more if you go to the link - including a copy of the Plea Agreement. This poor family....

Posted: 08/15/2012
A man accused of beating his girlfriend to death with a hammer and dumping her body in a trash bin has now been charged with murder.

In June, Travis Funke, 34, of Kokomo, agreed to plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the 2011 slaying of Kelly Armstrong, 28, in exchange for a 35-year prison term.

But the plea deal was withdrawn last week after concerns from the victim's family that the agreement stipulated that Funke's family would be given custody of the couple's 2-year-old son, Dylan.

Funke remains charged with voluntary manslaughter, but the new murder charge will give jurors another option at his upcoming trial.

Under Indiana law, murder is "knowingly or intentionally killing another human being," while voluntary manslaughter is an act committed "while acting under a sudden heat."

Armstrong's family reported her missing in September 2011 after she hadn't been heard from in months, and they said Funke, her live-in boyfriend, began acting evasive.

Shortly after police talked with Funke, he cut off his home detention monitor and tried to commit suicide, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Kelly J. Armstrong

While in jail on charges related to cutting his anklet, he told his cellmate that he had killed Armstrong with a hammer and that he was concerned about evidence that could still be in the couple's mobile home, police said.

When police searched the home, they found a hammer covered with blood and several large blood stains on the carpet, furniture and walls, according to the affidavit, which a lab later confirmed was a 99.9 percent match for Armstrong.

When investigators interviewed Funke again in January 2012, he admitted to killing Armstrong, telling police that Armstrong had threatened him with a hammer during a fight, and that he took it from her and beat her repeatedly, according to the affidavit.

Funke said he put Armstrong's body in a trash bin, which was picked up a short time later. Police tracked the trash to the Wabash Valley Landfill, where they spent six days searching through 6,000 tons of trash. No remains were found.

Funke was given a new trial date of Jan. 29.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/man-faces-murder-charge-in-fatal-hammer-beating

Man charged with missing girlfriend's murder after ‘wrapping plastic bag over her head and dumping body in the trash’

• Kelly Anderson, 28, went missing in August 2011 from her trailer home in Kokomo, Indiana
  
  
• She shared the trailer with boyfriend Travis Funke, now 34, who was the father of her young child
  
• Funke was arrested in September on unrelated charges
  
• Admitted to police that he killed Anderson in July
  
• Said
  they had been fighting for days 'over prescription drugs' and he woke
  up with her hitting the couch with a hammer before he turned on her and
  put a plastic bag over her head
  
  
• He thought that he dreamed the whole incident up
  

The live-in boyfriend of an Indiana
mom who disappeared last year has been charged with her murder even
though the woman’s body has never been found.
The
alarm was only raised about Kelly Armstrong, 28, when her sister
conducted her own search after not having heard from her in weeks.
Armstrong’s
boyfriend and father of her child, Travis Funke, now 34, eventually
confessed to police that he killed Armstrong by hitting her in the head
with a hammer but he thought it was all a dream.




Missing: Though Kelly
Armstrong's boyfriend admitted that he killed her, no physical evidence
has ever been found except from some blood stains on the carpeting of
the Indiana trailer the couple shared

The case against Funke has been
complicated as police have been reluctant to follow up due to a lack of
hard evidence- and diminishing resources.
The
latest change has been an upgrade in Funke’s charge, as he originally
faced a voluntary manslaughter charge but now heads to court with a full
murder charge.
Adding to
the problematic twists in the case is the well-being of Armstrong and
Funke’s child, who has been in care of Armstrong’s family since Funke
was arrested for an unrelated crime in late September of last year.





More...

• We were acting in self-defence, insist police officers who gunned knife-wielding man down after dramatic Times Square chase
  
• A single bullet hole left is left as reminder of massacre after congregation repairs and cleans up Sikh temple
  

Armstrong’s sister Shelly Rush
travelled to Armstrong’s home in Kokomo, Indiana in August 2011 after
she hadn’t heard from her sister in an unusually long amount of time.
On
top of that, Armstrong’s boyfriend Funke was giving Rush unclear
answers, continuing to say that when Rush called, Armstrong had just
stepped out of the house, or was unavailable to speak, and he never knew
when she would be back.

Though she alerted Kokomo police that
she was concerned about her sister’s welfare during that August trip,
no real breaks in the case came until September 28, 2011 when police
responded to the home where Armstrong and Funke lived.

At the time, Funke was wearing an
ankle monitoring bracelet for criminal activity that has yet to be
released, and police arrived at the home because the bracelet had been
cut off. Funke was taken into police custody, charged with attempted
escape, and sent to the Howard County jail.
The Kokomo Tribune reports that in October, Funke told a fellow inmate that he tried to kill Armstrong.
That
tip prompted a search warrant of the trailer that Armstrong and Funke
shared and police found blood stains on the carpet and bedroom that
matched that of Armstrong.
For
some unknown reason, police only interviewed Funke directly in January,
and that was the first time that he confessed to killing Armstrong
directly to authorities.

The
affidavit states that Funke told police that ‘he and Kelly had been
fighting for three days’ leading up to her reported death around July 1,
2011.

WISH TV reports that the fight was over prescription pills.

‘Funke
stated that he fell asleep on the couch and he awoke to Kelly hitting
the couch with a hammer. Funke stated that he believes that Kelly hit
him on the head with the hammer and knocked him out.
‘Funke
stated that, when he came to, Kelly was dead on the floor and bleeding
from the head. Funke said that he has memories of hitting her in the
head with a hammer but thought that it was a dream.’
The Huffington Post
reports that he told police that he put a plastic bag over her head,
wrapped her body in a tarp, and put it in a garbage container that was
picked up later that day.





Trouble: The
two-year-old child shared by Anderson and Funke was used as a part of a
now-revoked plea deal that police had offered Funke in exchange for more
clues about Anderson's body

During the interrogation
process, Funke directed police to a local landfill and after the spent
six days looking through 6,000 tons of trash, they still found no clues
relating to the case.
Because the body has never been found, Funke was originally charged with voluntary manslaughter.
Another
aspect of the case has been the couple’s son, and Funke tried to
bargain with prosecutors over releasing further details about the murder
in order to secure custody of the 2-year-old child.
After
learning of the prospect that the child may go back into the care of
the accused murderer, Armstrong’s family were predictably upset and
petitioned the courts for the plea deal to be taken off the table.
The
next formal verdicts in the case will come when it goes to a jury trial
on August 21, but until then the fight between the Armstrong family and
the local police will likely continue to play out, as they blame Howard
County Prosecutor Mark McCann with failing to properly inform the
Armstrongs about the details of the plea deal.
‘This case is so screwed up,’ Kelly’s father David Armstrong told the Kokomo Tribune.
‘Something needs to be done.’


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2187489/Man-charged-missing-girlfriends-murder-wrapping-plastic-bag-head-dumping-body-trash.html#ixzz2C91aFWLO

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Travis Funke gets 33 years for killing girlfriend Kelly Armstrong with hammer

Posted: 02/26/2013

KOKOMO, Ind. - A Kokomo man who admitted to beating his girlfriend to death with a hammer and dumping her body has been sentenced to 33 years in prison.

Travis Funke, 34, on Tuesday pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter in the July 2011 death of Kelly Armstrong.

Although her body has not been found, Funke later admitted to killing Armstrong in the mobile home the couple shared.

He told police that Armstrong threatened him with a hammer during a fight, and that he took it from her and beat her repeatedly, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Funke said he put Armstrong's body in a trash bin, which was picked up a short time later, and tried to clean up the blood with bleach. Police found a hammer covered with blood and several large blood stains in the home.

Police tracked the trash to the Wabash Valley Landfill, where they spent six days last year searching through 6,000 tons of trash. No remains were found.

As part of the plea agreement, Funke must cooperate if Armstrong's remains are ever found.

Armstrong's family objected to the sentence. They wanted her body found before a plea deal was made.

http://www.theindychannel.com/news/local-news/travis-funke-gets-33-years-for-killing-girlfriend-kelly-armstrong-with-hammer

February 26, 2013
Travis Funke gets 35 years in prison in death of Kelly Armstrong

By Mike Fletcher Kokomo Tribune

Kokomo — Howard Superior Court 2 Judge Brant Parry accepted a plea bargain Tuesday in the emotionally charged case against Travis Funke, who admitted to killing his girlfriend, Kelly Armstrong, in 2011, and sentenced Funke to 35 years in prison.

Funke, 35, appeared in court handcuffed and shackled and pleaded guilty to class A felony voluntary manslaughter.

After hearing evidence, Parry accepted the plea and sentenced Funke to 50 years, with 35 years in prison and 15 years probation. As part of the plea, Funke is required to cooperate with police and tell them where he dumped Armstrong’s body.

Funke admitted he killed her with a hammer July 8, 2011, at a mobile home at 2501 Apperson Way North after the two fought, according to police.

Funke further said he wrapped her body in a tarp and threw her in a trash container. Police then tracked the trash to the Wabash County landfill.

Investigators searched the landfill for six days but never found her body.

During the hearing, Funke did not make a statement. He only answered “yes, sir” when asked by the judge if he understood the terms of the plea, his rights and the punishment.

Funke also answered, “yes, sir” when Parry asked whether he knowingly, intentionally killed Armstrong while acting under sudden heat, which is the definition of voluntary manslaughter.

About a dozen family members of Armstrong attended the hearing and urged Funke to tell them where they can find her body.

“Where’s Kelly?” Armstrong’s father, David Armstrong, said on the stand, staring at Funke.

“That’s all we want.”

David Armstrong doesn’t believe Funke has been truthful when it comes to Kelly’s whereabouts and asked Judge Parry to take the plea under consideration to give the family more time to find their loved one.

From the start of the investigation, some family members believed Funke was lying about where he dumped her, while others believed police didn’t search the Wabash landfill enough.

Family members of Kelly Armstrong reported her missing Sept. 26, 2011. She had not been seen since June.

When initially questioned by Kokomo police, Funke denied any involvement. Police did arrest Funke on an escape charge for cutting off his in-home detention monitoring device. Funke was on house arrest out of Marshall County on an unrelated charge.

The case intensified in October when detectives were told by jail officials that Funke had admitted to a cell mate that he killed Armstrong.

In subsequent interviews with police, Funke said admitted to killing her.

Armstrong’s mother, Teresa Edwards, went along with the plea, but believes police searched the trash from the wrong date and wants a continued search of the landfill.

“I don’t have a problem with the terms of the plea, I have a problem with Travis’ ability to tell the truth,” Edwards said on the stand prior to sentencing.

“I’ve known Travis for a long time, and I believe he is lying. All I want is Kelly.

“Whatever you decide today won’t change anything,” she told the judge. “I will continue to look for Kelly. I won’t stop.”

Several others family members also testified to the pain and suffering this case has caused the family and urged Funke to tell the truth.

http://kokomotribune.com/local/x36430676/Travis-Funke-gets-35-years-in-prison-in-death-of-Kelly-Armstrong