TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)— James Ready, the man who killed 43-year-old Vito Bugni in March of 2024, was sentenced Wednesday after taking a plea agreement in May.
The plea agreement reads that Ready changed his plea to guilty but mentally ill in reference to the count of voluntary manslaughter; his second charge of resisting arrest was dismissed. The sentencing is for 17.5 years, 15 of which will be served in the Indiana Department of Corrections, and two and a half years served under formal probation.
Ready was also recommended to receive mental health treatment while incarcerated. In addition to the standard probation terms, Ready must also:
- Shall report to Hamilton Center for mental health evaluation and abide by any recommendations for education, counseling, or treatment.
- Shall submit to random drug tests, breath tests and/or urinalysis to be administered through any Alcohol and Drug Program and/or any Community Corrections Program and/or Adult Probation.
- Shall stipulate to the admissibility of the result of any such drug tests, breath tests and/or urinalysis in any subsequent pretrial release, probation and/or direct commitment revocation hearing.
- Shall not consume any alcohol or controlled substances (without valid prescription).
- Shall obey all Federal, State, and local laws
Ready will also be registered as a violent felon and have to pay a fine of $1. Being registered as such means Ready can not possess a firearm. Ready can also have his formal probation turned into informal probation at the discretion of the probation officer.
According to court documents, a witness stated, ““[Witness] stated that James has been accusing her and Vito of “putting spells on him” and that this is what made him become aggressive today,” the PCA reads. “James had been arguing with [witness] about these hallucinations and was getting more agitated as they argued. [Witness] stated that they had just finished using Vito’s knife to cut apples, when James grabbed the knife and stabbed Vito at least twice in the stomach.”
A relative of Ready’s had told the police he was struggling with mental health problems. When police found Ready, court documents state, “I asked James if he had stabbed [Bugni] and he replied ‘not intentionally, I’m admitting it, but not intentionally.’ James could not elaborate on what he meant by ‘not intentionally.’ I asked James what he stabbed him with, and he said ‘his knife, I’ll admit it to you.’ James stated ‘I don’t want to admit it, but I’m being honest.’”
