Inset left: Jamerus Parkman (Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office). Inset right: Susan Haynie (Obituary). Background: The house in Evansville, Indiana, where authorities say the killing occurred (WEVV/YouTube).
After a 75-year-old Indiana woman was found strangled to death in the basement of her home, a man has admitted to the crime.
Jamerus Parkman, 35, has pleaded guilty to murder in the death of Susan Haynie, as well as burglary, Vanderburgh Superior Court records reviewed by Law&Crime show. The defendant is due to be sentenced on Dec. 2.
The Evansville Police Department says that on Aug. 27, 2025, at about 5 p.m., it was called to a home on the 3300 block of East Gum Street in Evansville. The city sits on Indiana's southern border with Kentucky.
Haynie lived in the home, and officers arrived to find her dead in her basement. Police said the following day that they had a "person of interest" — later revealed as Parkman — in the case.
Investigators said they believe Parkman entered Haynie's house through an unlocked door before killing her, area CBS and Fox affiliate WEVV reported. It was apparently a pattern for the defendant — as he was convicted of burglary, robbery, and attempted rape in a crime spree between 2008 and 2010.
According to the outlet, Parkman was paroled in February 2025 after serving 13 years of a 35-year sentence, months before Haynie was killed.
Parkman was arrested, and police said evidence tied him to the crime, such as a tablet that showed he was in Haynie's yard around the time she was killed. He originally pleaded not guilty before changing his plea on Friday, according to court records.
Haynie was "a lifetime resident of Evansville," according to her obituary, and she "combined her deep roots in the community with her professional expertise to provide clients with personalized and caring service" as she was a local realtor.
The obituary adds: "Susan will be remembered not only as a dedicated real estate professional but also as a cherished friend whose generosity and spirit touched everyone who knew her. Susan had a special gift and commitment to turn every opportunity to entertain into an unforgettable experience. Time and again, she stepped in to make her friends' lives much more joyful."