Suspect in Greene County Jail: Linked by DNA match to thefts in Greene County in 2018

A lengthy investigation into thefts in the summer of 2018 of a John Deere Gator, an EZ-GO golf cart and other equipment resulted in the identification of a suspect thanks to a match between the suspect’s DNA and a DNA profile from a flashlight left behind on the scene. Charges were filed in Greene County but the suspect was in jail on similar charges in Monroe County. Last Friday, he was transferred into the Greene County Jail.

Nash Tyler Garrett

Nash Tyler Garrett, 38, of Bloomington, was booked into the Greene County Jail at 11:22 a.m. last Friday, January 8.

Garrett has been wanted in Greene County on preliminary charges of burglary – a Level 5 felony, and theft where the value of the property is between $750 and $50,000 – a Level 6 felony.

The warrant was issued for his arrest on September 21, 2018. He is suspected of stealing a John Deere Gator and an EZ-GO golf cart from a residence in eastern Greene County. At the time, he was also a suspect in other thefts, but detectives said they were able to tie Garrett to these particular thefts when they got a match between the DNA of Nash and a DNA profile obtained from a recovered flashlight used during the thefts.

At that time, current Worthington Town Marshal James O’Malley was serving as a detective at the Greene County Sheriff’s Department and was the lead investigator into the thefts.

Then-Det. Sgt. O’Malley said the case has been under investigation since late June of 2018 when Larry Martindale reported a burglary of his property located in an area along State Road 45 in eastern Greene County.

Missing items included a 2014 John Deere Gator 825I and a 2004 EZ-GO golf cart plus assorted tools.

In addition, another golf cart was stolen during the same time period of June 23-25, 2018, from the property of Ivan Sparks in the same general area.

Several sets of tire tracks were discovered going to and from the Martindale property and from the Sparks property, and along a shoulder of State Road 45. While tracing these tracks, a black flashlight was found in the grass – it was sent to the Indiana State Police Laboratory for DNA analysis.

O’Malley said that based on the tire tracks, it appeared the Sparks golf cart was stolen first then driven approximately ¼ to ½ mile to the Martindale property where the other two vehicles were stolen.

It was believed that the stolen vehicles were then driven to a nearby location where a truck and trailer were parked, then loaded up and transported out of the area late on June 24, 2018.

The investigation got a break on August 5, 2018, when Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputies located a possible stolen trailer at a property on South Rockport Road. They ran a check on four vehicles parked in the driveway and discovered two of the four had been reported as stolen.

Two suspects were then arrested in Monroe County, Dustin Mizell, 36, Bloomington, and Nash Garrett. The deputies reported that when Garrett was arrested, he was in possession of a set of keys that belonged to a stolen yellow Caterpillar Skid Steer located on the Rockport Road property.

Following these arrests, deputies advised detectives of the potential of additional stolen property on Rockport Road based on an extreme number of vehicles, ATVs, tools, firearms and electronics that were there.

A search warrant was obtained and among the items recovered were the John Deere Gator and the EZ-GO golf cart belonging to Martindale and the golf cart belonging to Ivan Sparks.

Another break came a bit later when the Indiana State Police Laboratory sent a notice to the Greene County Sheriff’s Department that they had a match between a convicted offender DNA sample and the DNA profile obtained off the recovered flashlight.

The convicted offender was Nash Garrett.

Greene County Prosecutor Jarrod Holtsclaw filed the criminal case against Garrett in September, 2018, and Greene Circuit Court Judge Erik Allen ordered a warrant be issued for Garrett’s arrest. But Garrett was in jail in Monroe County and so the warrant has remained outstanding all this time, until he was transferred to Greene County last week.

Garrett’s bond has been set at $14,000 surety with ten percent cash allowed. The date for his initial hearing in Greene Circuit Court has not yet been set.