Brother charged with murder after man fatally stabbed

Mason Crockett/ Vigo County Jail

According to  Vigo County Sheriff's Office officials, a 25-year-old man found dead at a northside mobile home park yesterday was fatally stabbed in the chest by his own younger brother in case of sibling rivalry --- for the same woman.
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Mason Crockett, 23, was arrested a few hours after deputies found his slain brother, Zachery Crockett, dead in a yard. Mason Crockett is charged with  murder, a level 1 felony. Crockett was booked into the Vigo County Jail at 6 p.m. yesterday. 

“Detectives believe the motive to be jealousy by both men being involved with the same woman,” VCSO Chief Deputy John Moats explained this afternoon, noting that the suspect, Mason Crockett, declined to speak with detectives after invoking his right to counsel.

Multiple law enforcement agencies worked together to track the murder suspect

According to Moats, “Vigo County detectives, along with members of the Vigo County Drug Task Force, Terre Haute Police Department and the US Marshals Office began a massive search for Mason Crockett. Within a short amount of time, Mason Crockett, was located walking southbound on US 41 just south of Boot City and taken to the Sheriff’s Office.”

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Estate Road mobile home scene of homicide/Lucy Perry Photo

A homicide investigation was underway shortly after detectives arrived just before noon following a 911 call to Central Dispatch advising of a dead body at 5350 Estate Road, Lot 36 address. Vigo County deputies arrived and were directed to an area between Lot 36 and Lot 37 where Zachery laid dead on the ground, Moats explained.


The victim's mother attempted to alert authorities about possible danger between the two vying brothers earlier in the day.

She reportedly called Central Dispatch yesterday at about 10 a.m., requesting a welfare check be done on her son located at a residence in the northern Vigo County mobile home park. She had received information that her son may have possibly been stabbed in an altercation. According to Moats, a deputy was dispatched to the residence and spoke with a female who advised that she hadn’t seen Zachery since she had come home early that morning. The deputy completed from the earlier call without locating Zachery at the residence.

Vigo County detectives reportedly learned from the mother of the slain victim that she had received a phone call from her other son, Mason , earlier that morning at approximately 2:25 a.m. 

“She stated that Mason had said that he had stabbed Zachery, with his pocket knife, during a fight the two had between the trailers where Zachery lived. Mason told her that Zachary fell to the ground and that’s where he left him,” Moats said.
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An affidavit of probable cause was reviewed today by Judge Michael Lewis and he found probable cause did exist for the arrest of Mason Crockett and ordered him held without bond, Moats said. Crockett’s next appearance in court is set for June 20 at 10 a.m. in Vigo Circuit Court. 

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