On the evening of October 30, 2017, in Evansville, Indiana, 29-year-old Dewone M. Broomfield was at his home on East Maryland Street with his girlfriend, Mary Woodruff. The couple was in bed watching a movie when two men, William Rice and Deshay Hackner, also known as 'Wire Man,' entered the home and opened fire. Woodruff was shot twice in the head and died almost instantly.
Broomfield was shot multiple times, sustaining two gunshot wounds to his torso and a graze wound to his forehead.
Despite his severe injuries, Broomfield managed to call 911. In the call, he identified his attackers as William Rice and Deshay Hackner. When police arrived, he again named the men who had shot him. Broomfield was rushed to Deaconess Midtown Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 11:36 p.m. Witnesses reported seeing two men leaving the residence after hearing the gunshots.
Following a police chase, both Rice and Hackner were apprehended and charged with two counts of murder. The investigation revealed that just days before the shooting, Hackner had seen Broomfield with a large amount of cash. Hackner had a significant criminal history and had been acquitted of a 2014 murder just two weeks prior to the double homicide. He had also been released from jail only a week before the incident after posting bond in a separate case.
In June 2019, Deshay Hackner was found guilty of the murders of Dewone Broomfield and Mary Woodruff, as well as two counts of robbery. He was sentenced to a total of 157 years in prison. The lengthy sentence included 120 years for the murders and additional time for robbery convictions and sentence-enhancing charges for being a habitual offender and using a firearm.
