In a wooded area behind the Wheeler Mission in Bloomington, Indiana, a grim discovery was made on January 9, 2024. Curtis Butler, a 52-year-old man, was found deceased inside his tent, the victim of a fatal gunshot wound. The preliminary cause of death was quickly determined to be a gunshot wound, a fact later confirmed by a full autopsy.
Authorities were called to the homeless encampment near the 200 block of S. Westplex Ave. at approximately 1:45 p.m.
after receiving reports of a man being shot. Upon their arrival, bystanders directed officers to the encampment where they located Mr. Butler. Individuals in the area reported hearing multiple gunshots just before the 911 call was made. Investigators believed from the outset that the victim and the person responsible for his death were acquainted.
The investigation swiftly pointed to a suspect, Evelynn Lakisha Kuuleilehaunani, a 41-year-old woman described as transient. Witnesses reported seeing Kuuleilehaunani arguing with Butler near his tent. According to witness accounts, the argument escalated dramatically when Kuuleilehaunani allegedly raised a revolver, fired a single shot into the air, and then proceeded to fire multiple rounds into the tent where Butler was located. It was later revealed that Kuuleilehaunani and Butler had been in a relationship. After the shooting, she reportedly gathered her belongings and fled the scene.
Following a search, police located Kuuleilehaunani at a residence in the 500 block of S. Basswood Drive. In the early morning hours of the following Friday, she exited the apartment and was arrested by officers without incident. Evelynn Lakisha Kuuleilehaunani was subsequently charged with one count of felony murder and is being held at the Monroe County Jail. This tragic event marked the second killing to occur in the same wooded area behind the Wheeler Mission in just over a month.
