EXCLUSIVE: Family of Nicholas Stanley speaks to ABC57

Stanley is related to a victim in Cogswell's 2018 conviction for child molestation. His sister told ABC57 he and his family were devastated to learn Cogswell was released from prison after only serving six years of a 12-year sentence.

"My heart sank, actually. My stomach physically hurt," said Jessica Stanley, Nicholas Stanley's sister. "I was just so appalled that he would be released and released so close in proximity to the victim."

In early 2018, Alan Cogswell was convicted of child molestation and child pornography.

Jessica Stanley was keeping tabs on him, and after a search of the Indiana sex offender registry, she discovered he had been released in May and was staying in Elkhart again.

She says her brother found out the same day.

According to the probable cause affidavit for Nicholas Stanley's arrest, a man with a long gun approached room 251 of the Daylite Inn in Elkhart just after midnight on June 24. He knocked on the door, and the shooting started when the door opened.

After a brief investigation, police arrested Nic Stanley for the murder, but Stanley reportedly maintained his innocence.

"There's my brother's mug shot plastered all over the local news stations," Jessica said.

She says she's gotten dozens of messages from people supporting her brother.

She is now advocating for stronger sentences against sex offenders, so someone like Cogswell stays behind bars.

She is also organizing a protest for this Wednesday outside the Elkhart County Courthouse in Goshen, starting at noon.

"We want better reform, stricter sentencing, harsher sentencing for people who abuse children," she said. "Because to be sentenced for 7-12 years for a crime that you committed, you're taking a child's innocence, and that's a lifetime ordeal that they have to deal with. And to be only serving 7-12 years, and some have served even less, is just appalling. It's a slap in the face to the victim. It's a slap in the face to the victim's family, and for victims anywhere."

ABC57 asked Elkhart County Prosecutor Vicki Becker about how they sentence sex offenders. She couldn't comment on any pending case, but sent ABC57 a statement that reads in part:

"We look at all of the criminogenic risk factors of the offender, the facts and circumstances of the offense, the quality of the admissible evidence in a case and/or the cooperation and/or input of a victim, as well as any other factor that might aggravate or mitigate a sentence. Every case and every offender is different."

Stanley has yet to make a plea in the case. His bail hearing is set for Thursday at 8:30 a.m.