On the morning of November 21, 2009, a violent sequence of events unfolded at a residence on Coronado Drive in Mount Vernon, Indiana. Inside the home, 43-year-old Jon Wayne David, a male resident of Posey County, was asleep in the master bedroom alongside his girlfriend, Lisa Kershaw. The quiet of the early hours was shattered when an intruder entered the house using a key he had retained.
The man was identified as Lee Kershaw, Lisa’s ex-husband, whose divorce from her had been finalized only days earlier. Armed with a rifle, Lee Kershaw made his way to the bedroom where the couple lay sleeping.
Upon entering the room, Lee Kershaw opened fire, discharging multiple rounds into the bed. Jon David was struck three times during the ambush, suffering gunshot wounds to his torso, leg, and hand. Emergency responders later pronounced him dead at the scene. Lisa Kershaw managed to roll off the bed to avoid the gunfire, though the attack continued. After the shooting, Lee Kershaw assaulted her with the stock of the weapon, striking her in the face and abdomen while she pleaded for her life. His teenage son, who was also in the home at the time, fled the residence to a neighbor's house to seek help.
Following the attack, Lee Kershaw fled the scene but later contacted his mother, admitting to the shooting. Investigators quickly issued a warrant for his arrest, charging him with murder, attempted murder, and burglary resulting in bodily injury. During the subsequent legal proceedings, it was revealed that Lee Kershaw had driven from his home in Mount Vernon, Illinois, specifically to confront the couple. Evidence presented in court included statements about his prior threats and the fact that he had fantasized about the killing weeks in advance.
The case concluded in the legal system with a conviction for Lee Kershaw. He was found guilty of Class A felony voluntary manslaughter for the death of Jon David and Class A felony attempted voluntary manslaughter regarding the attack on his ex-wife. The court handed down a significant penalty, sentencing him to an aggregate term of sixty years in prison for his crimes. The appellate court later affirmed this sentence, bringing a final legal resolution to the tragedy that claimed Jon David’s life.
