Man sentenced to 56 years in prison for murder, dismemberment of roommate

John Hallett, 54, was sentenced Thursday by LaPorte Superior Court Judge Jamie Oss to 55 years in prison for murder and an additional year for abuse of a corpse.

Hallett could have been sentenced to 65 years in prison for murder and an additional 30 months for a minor felony.

LaPorte County Prosecutor Sean Fagan said he was pleased with the sentence because the chances of Hallett ever being free again, given his age, are very low.

“As long as justice is served for Mr. Gonzales and his family, that’s what really matters,” he said.

In 2017, evidence shows Hallett choked 64-year-old Paul Gonzales to death and left his body in the basement for nearly two months at their home in the 1000 block of West 9th Street.

Hallett used a hacksaw to cut up the body and threw the decomposing parts into municipal trash.

Fagan said none of the remains, which presumably ended up in a landfill, were ever found.

Evidence of Gonzalez's death, however, was gathered in the form of microscopic material forensically collected from the pores of the concrete where his body decomposed.

The investigation showed the men were living on the streets until they were placed in the house together by a group serving the homeless.

According to court documents, law enforcement did not know about the killing until 2022, when Hallett called Michigan City police, claiming he had killed his former roommate.

Hallett claimed he killed him because he suspected Gonzales of stealing his mail and trying to get him deported, police said.

The arrest didn't come until about a year later, after enough information had been gathered to support his claims.

Hallett was convicted of murder and abuse of a corpse in May after a four-day trial.

Fagan also said he was not surprised that prison time was not expected, believing the judge had carefully weighed all factors.

“It was a good result,” he said.