On a February evening in 2023, the life of 36-year-old Shawn Wildt was tragically cut short in Evansville, Indiana. He and his brother, Chad Wildt, were at a property they owned on Cypress Dale Road when they were confronted by intruders. The encounter turned violent, resulting in both brothers being shot. Shawn Wildt was found deceased inside the residence, while his 42-year-old brother, Chad, was discovered in the roadway with a gunshot wound to the face.
Chad was critically injured but ultimately survived the attack.
The investigation swiftly led law enforcement to 18-year-old Austin Ousley. After the shooting, Ousley fled the scene and was later found behind a local business, where he had turned the gun on himself, inflicting a head wound. A 17-year-old was also taken into custody in connection with the incident. Ousley was hospitalized for his self-inflicted injuries and, upon his release, was booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail in April 2023 to face charges for the events of that fatal night.
Austin Ousley was charged with murder, attempted murder, burglary, and criminal trespass. His trial commenced in March 2024. During the proceedings, the jury heard testimony from nearly two dozen witnesses, including the doctor who treated the surviving brother, and reviewed evidence such as 911 calls and body camera footage. After deliberating for nearly eight hours, the jury found Ousley guilty of the lesser charge of reckless homicide in the death of Shawn Wildt, as well as attempted murder for the shooting of Chad Wildt. He was found not guilty of criminal trespass and burglary. In August 2024, Austin Ousley was sentenced to 60 years in prison for his role in the violent encounter that left one brother dead and another seriously wounded.
