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A burglar who killed a popular former Cocoa city councilman and teacher during a home break-in in 2020 has been sentenced to 50 years in prison.  

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MATTHEW L. INKLEBARGER, 47, told a judge Nov. 17 that he stabbed Jim Wallen to death during a skirmish after surprising Wallen in his garage during the burglary.  Inklebarger’s brief confession, heard by more than 40 of Wallen’s family and friends in a Viera courtroom, was required as part of a plea agreement with the State Attorney’s Office, which had charged him with first-degree murder.

Inklebarger instead pled guilty to second-degree murder, receiving the 50-year prison sentence followed by lifetime probation ordered by Circuit Judge Charles Crawford. He also pled guilty to theft and burglary of a dwelling, which brought a 15-year sentence to be served concurrently. Parole does not exist in Florida.

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At his sentencing hearing, Wallen’s family mourned the tragic death of a man who had served two terms on the Cocoa council in the 1980s; taught for decades at Kennedy Middle School, Brevard Community College, and his church’s Sunday school; and helped organize local events to benefit causes including children with Downs Syndrome. Wallen loved traveling the world with his wife, Lucinda, and spending time with family, his survivors said in victim-impact statements.

“This crime has done so much more than rob me of time with my dad,” son Brett Wallen told the court. “It annihilated a grandfather, a friend … someone who meant more things to more people than anyone can imagine.”

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Assistant State Attorney Ann Perrin was prepared to present evidence and witness testimony at trial that proved Inklebarger’s role in the murder and burglary.  Cocoa Police arrested Inklebarger in August 2020 after his girlfriend was caught pawning Wallen’s custom-engraved wedding ring for $175 and quickly agreed to cooperate and testify. While questioning Inklebarger, investigators discovered blood on his gray athletic shoes that later matched Wallen’s DNA. Police also found Inklebarger’s fingerprints at the murder scene.

After confessing in court to killing Wallen, Inklebarger conceded that “sorry doesn’t mean anything” to his victim’s survivors. But he said he understood their pain “for the loss of someone they love.”

The city of Cocoa renamed a park on Manor Drive after Wallen in August 2021.