Merrillville man convicted of raping, murdering girlfriend nearly 35 years ago, sentenced

A Merrillville man convicted of murdering and raping his girlfriend nearly 35 years ago will serve his sentence in a community correctional facility.

Lake Superior Court Judge Natalie Bokota on Friday sentenced Tyrone Andrew McKee, 61, to 10 years in prison, eight to be served in Lake County Community Corrections, and two years of probation for the murder by Colleen Daphne Callahan in November 1988. McKee admitted via a plea agreement on February 29 to pleading guilty to a charge of criminal confinement, a class B felony.

McKee's attorney, John Cantrell, said McKee is a “different man” than he was in 1987, when he committed the first of six criminal charges he filed. After being released from prison in 2013, McKee held a steady job and is described by colleagues as a “kind and caring gentleman.”

“Community Corrections accepted him as a viable candidate. He is gainfully employed and has accepted responsibility (for Callahan’s death),” Cantrell said.

Assistant Prosecutor Michelle Jatkewicz, however, reminded the court that “Colleen is gone and has been for 40 years.”

In his defense, McKee said he was a young man involved in drugs and alcohol, but had “learned and grown” from his mistakes. He said he was sorry to be in court.

Bokota noted that he did not say he was sorry for killing Callahan.

“Your records are over 10 years old, but I see no expression of remorse for this crime,” Bokota said. “(Callahan) was pregnant and she left children behind.”

McKee will receive 629 days of credit for serving his sentence between October 2019 and June 2021, and more in 2022, Bokota said.

In the plea agreement, McKee admitted to having an “argument” about “money” with Colleen “Daphne” Callahan, 23, on Nov. 9, 1988, in the 2300 block of Massachusetts Street, before to prevent her from leaving and fatally beating her. McKee's DNA was found on her.

When the case was opened in 2019, authorities said the new DNA analysis and witnesses now speaking made this possible.

The FBI's Gang Response Investigative Team submitted its rape kit in May 2018 to the Indiana State Police Lowell Laboratory for DNA testing, according to the probable cause affidavit. Court records indicate test results revealed partial DNA profiles of two individuals, including at least one man.

Analysts entered the sample into the Combined DNA Index System and the results indicated it belonged to McKee, records show. Officers then reviewed McKee's previous arrest records, one of which listed as an address a property two houses away from the building where Callahan was found dead, records show.

McKee acknowledged that his mother worked at a hotel a block from the murder scene, but denied knowing Callahan even after officers showed her a photo of him in front of the building where she was found, according to the archives.

Officers then spoke with witnesses named in the original case files, who confirmed that Callahan and McKee were dating at the time of her death. Witnesses told police they were previously afraid to come forward, records show.

He was charged with one count of murder, one count of murder while committing or attempting to commit rape and one count of rape.

Callahan's body was found on the afternoon of November 9, 1988, in an abandoned house in the 2400 block of Connecticut Street.

Callahan was found lying on a floor littered with broken glass and pieces of window frames, and she had numerous injuries and deep lacerations to her legs, according to Post-Tribune archives. Police said at the time that she had been sexually assaulted.

The autopsy indicated the cause of death was blunt instrument injuries, records show. Other court documents said she had a fractured skull, rib fractures, internal bleeding and other injuries.

At the time of her death, Callahan was the mother of four daughters, ages 1 to 6.

Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. Reporter Meredith Colias-Pete contributed.