In a tragic incident on July 27, 2022, James Christopher McClernon, a 41-year-old male, was fatally shot in Evansville, Indiana. The shooting occurred in a mobile home park on the west side of the city, where both McClernon and the suspect resided. An autopsy later confirmed that McClernon died from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso.
The investigation quickly led to the apprehension of 34-year-old Ricky Allen Kiper Jr. as the suspect.
According to law enforcement, Kiper went to McClernon's home on Maggie Valley Drive, asked for him by name, and shot him twice when he came to the door. Witnesses at the scene identified Kiper as the shooter, and he was located in a vehicle near the trailer park shortly after the incident.
During police interrogation, Kiper admitted to the killing and expressed no remorse. He stated that his motive was his belief that McClernon was a sex offender and that he felt justified in taking matters into his own hands. McClernon was on the sex offender registry, a fact that Kiper cited as his reason for the murder. However, McClernon's family stated that the registry status stemmed from an incident in Canada over two decades prior involving an adult woman, for which he had served his time.
Initially, Kiper pleaded not guilty, but in January 2023, he changed his plea to guilty on one count of felony murder. This plea was part of an agreement where the state dropped a firearm enhancement charge. In February 2023, Kiper was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the murder, with an additional 15 years for being a habitual offender, resulting in a total sentence of 75 years.
