Phillip R. Nagel, 71, was found dead inside his Rensselaer, Indiana, home in the 700 block of West Milroy Avenue on February 17, 2025, after friends and neighbors requested a welfare check when he missed scheduled events. The Jasper County Coroner’s autopsy ruled the cause of death a gunshot wound and the manner of death a homicide. The Rensselaer Police Department, Indiana State Police and Jasper County Sheriff’s Department opened a joint investigation and processed evidence at the scene and nearby areas.

Investigators focused on Nagel’s estranged wife, 70-year-old Stephanie Nagel. A search warrant was executed at her separate Rensselaer residence, where authorities reportedly recovered evidence connected to the case. During interviews she allegedly gave inconsistent accounts and later stopped cooperating. She was arrested and booked into the Jasper County Jail and charged with murder, burglary resulting in serious bodily injury, and stalking while armed with a deadly weapon. She pleaded not guilty at arraignment and remains in custody as the matter proceeds toward a jury trial set for July 30, 2025.

Phillip was remembered locally for his work on the family farm and with the Carnegie Players. Does anyone have information about his activities or movements in the days before February 17, 2025?