In the late morning of November 20, 2020, in Evansville, Indiana, a burst of violence shattered the day, leaving 39-year-old James Krawetz Jr. mortally wounded. A white male, Krawetz was discovered with gunshot wounds outside a residence at the intersection of North Fulton Avenue and Georgia Street after police responded to reports of a shooting around 11 a.m.
He was rushed to Deaconess Midtown Hospital, but his life could not be saved, and he succumbed to his injuries shortly before noon.
At the scene, officers encountered a woman who had also sustained a gunshot wound to her foot. She immediately claimed responsibility for shooting Krawetz, telling authorities that he had been abusing her. This woman was later identified as 34-year-old Kelley Jo Brand. While she was taken to the hospital for her non-life-threatening injury, the Evansville Police Department launched an investigation into the complex circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting.
In the months that followed, the investigation led to the arrest of Kelley Jo Brand. She was taken into custody during a traffic stop and subsequently faced charges of manslaughter and narcotics-related offenses. Following her arrest, Brand was held at the Vanderburgh County Jail, with her bond set at $20,000 cash. The case then entered the judicial system, leaving the final chapter of this tragic story to be written within the courts.
