A Lake County Judge sentenced a Gary man to 12 years after he admitted fatally stabbing his girlfriend’s son.
Edward Veal III, 53, apologized to the victim’s family and his own.
“I want the family to know I’m very sorry,” he said.
He pleaded guilty Jan. 11 to voluntary manslaughter in the Feb. 28, 2021 death of Frank L. Fields II, 27.
Fields confronted Veal for hitting his mom, just before Veal stabbed him, charges state. The woman called Fields to help her after Veal took her car that night, according to court records.
The deal called for Veal to serve 10 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections, 2 years in Lake County Community Corrections and another 2 years on probation.
“We don’t expect to see you back in the court system,” Judge Natalie Bokota told Veal.
Police were called at 2 a.m. Feb. 28, 2021 to the 1000 block of W. 151st Street in East Chicago for a reported stabbing.
Fields was taken to St. Catherine’s hospital in East Chicago hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to court documents. He was stabbed in the left armpit.
“I was minding my own business trying to go back home to my son (sic) house,” Veal texted the woman, in court documents. “He ran up with a gun trying to kill me. I have to protect myself.”
Veal later called the woman who put the call on speakerphone for the police. Fields “ran through the alley to fight me,” Veal claimed. “I’m sorry it was your son. I (don’t care) who it is. Is he ok?” Police didn’t find a weapon on Fields.
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Veal called police and was arrested at his son’s house without incident. He later told police Fields attacked him “with a stick. He came at me first and we got into it. I was drunk”, according to the affidavit.
Defense attorney J. Michael Woods represented Veal, while Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys Shannon Phillips and Arturo Balcazar were assigned to the case.