Beverly Helen Karns, a 30-year-old female, was fatally shot in Evansville, Indiana on Saturday, April 9, 2016. A musician and a mother of two sons, she was born on October 19, 1985, and worked as a rural carrier for the United States Postal Service. Those who knew her described her as a free spirit who saw the good in people and was always willing to help others.
The circumstances of her death unfolded at a residence at 640 Maxwell Avenue.
Inside the home with several other adults and children, Beverly was in a front room with an acquaintance, Michael Damien Howell. The other adults in the house heard a gunshot and entered the room to find Beverly on the floor with a gunshot wound to the head, and Howell holding a handgun. Fearing for their own lives and the lives of the children, the witnesses did not immediately call the police after Howell warned them not to.
Following the shooting, Howell placed Beverly's body in her truck and fled the scene. His attempt to escape led to a multi-county police chase which began after he crashed the truck in Warrick County, at which point Beverly's body was ejected from the vehicle. A witness who stopped to help and called 911 was subsequently shot by Howell. Howell then stole another vehicle and continued his flight before being apprehended by police in Dubois County.
After his arrest, Michael Damien Howell was charged with murder and intimidation. During his trial, Howell, who had been using methamphetamine and marijuana for days prior to the incident, claimed he shot Beverly in self-defense, believing she was reaching for a gun. However, it was determined that she was unarmed and was reaching for her car keys and an e-cigarette. The jury found him guilty of voluntary manslaughter, and he was sentenced to 57 years in prison. The judge presiding over the case noted that Howell showed no genuine remorse for his actions.
