Ellis v. State

GIVAN, Justice.

A jury trial resulted in the conviction of appellant of Voluntary Manslaughter, a Class B felony, for which he received a sentence of twenty (20) years.

The facts are: In 1977, appellant quit his job at Sears in Michigan City, Indiana and moved to Arkansas because a co-employee, Ted Goetz, had started a rumor claiming that appellant was a homosexual. In 1978, appellant moved back to Indiana and began working as a repairman for Sun Appliance in LaPorte, Indiana. Upon his return, he resumed his friendship with Goetz and had no problems with the rumors of homosexuality. Appellant…