LAWRENCE CO. – In September 2023, the historic Monon Depot was consumed in a fire, a mother was charged with children’s death, a Bedford woman was arrested for her child’s death, and a Bedford man died in an officer-involved shooting on Washington Avenue.
Historic Monon Depot consumed in a fire
The Monon Depot on J Street in Bedford was consumed by fire early on September 17, 2023.
Bedford Fire Department firefighters responded to the blaze at 3:29 a.m.
Built of sturdy Indiana limestone in 1926, Bedford’s Monon Station at 1221 J Street signaled the area’s eminence as the primary supplier of the building material favored for monuments, statues, churches, commercial, government, and other buildings nationwide.
Indiana Landmarks placed the depot on the 10 Most Endangered, a list of historic places on the brink of extinction and too important to lose in 2020.
Situated at the heart of the “Limestone Capital of the World,” the depot played its role in the story, acting as a freight station for shipping the enormous blocks harvested from local quarries. Doubling as a passenger station for the Monon Railroad, the depot also served as a backdrop for students departing for and returning from college, those heading to take the waters in French Lick, and travelers beginning the long journey to Chicago.
The Monon ended passenger service in 1967, and the Louisville & Nashville Railroad and later CSX took over operations. Lawrence County officials adapted the building as a recycling center in 2006.
Now vacant, the Craftsman building is dilapidated and a target for vandals, and severely deteriorating soffits endanger the tile roof.
Community leaders and trail advocates in the past had expressed interest in adapting the depot as a trailhead for the growing Milwaukee Road Transportation Trailway, but now the building is gone.
Mother charged with children’s death
On Tuesday, September 26, 2023, detectives and crime scene investigators from the Indiana State Police assisted with the investigation into the deaths of two children in a Mitchell home.
At approximately 4 p.m. at the request of the Mitchell Police Department, Bloomington Post detectives responded to 1211 Brook Street to investigate the deaths of a 3-year-old male child and a one-year-old female child.
Their mother, 33-year-old Brittany Medina, has been charged with two counts of murder and two counts of child neglect causing death. She is being held in the Lawrence County Jail without bail.
On Tuesday, September 26, at 4:00 p.m., Medina walked into the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department and reported she had just killed her children. She told police she drowned them in the bathroom. Medina was read her Miranda rights and was detained. She then gave Detective Ramos the key to her home.
The bodies of three-year-old Jackson and one-year-old Madelyn Shelton were found in the bathtub of their home.
Medina told police on Monday, September 25th, she had consumed a half gram of Xanax, a Suboxone strip, and snorted three lines of cocaine.
On Tuesday, September 26, her boyfriend Ryan Shelton awakened to go to work and woke Brittany up at 6:30 a.m. Medina told police she made breakfast and put on a cartoon for the kids to watch. At approximately 2:30 p.m., she told police she heard voices in her head indicating that she needed to send her children to Heaven that day or someone would come and place her and her children in a dark hole.
Medina told police the voices indicated that people would torture all three until the end of their lives if she didn’t send the children to Heaven that day.
Medina indicated she then went into the bathroom closest to the master bedroom and began to fill the bathtub with water. Medina told police she knew she was going to drown her children to send them to Heaven. Medina told police she took both children into the bathroom and placed one on each side of her in the bathtub. She told them she loved them, gave them kisses, and submerged both children simultaneously under the water by holding them around the neck until Jackson no longer had a pulse, and both quit moving.
She exited the bathtub and went into her bedroom to wear dry clothes. She returned to the bathroom and said, “The water was completely still, and Jackson and Maddy were lying in the bathtub, not moving.”
Medina indicated she got into her vehicle and drove to the Sheriff’s Department.
Medina made her initial appearance in Lawrence County Superior Court I. She entered a not-guilty plea.
Chief Public Defender Tim Sledd represents her, and the state is represented by Prosecutor Sam Apr.
Bedford woman arrested in her child’s death
A Bedford woman was arrested in Michigan and transported back to Lawrence County to face charges in her daughter’s death.
In September 2023, police arrested Cheyenne Hill, 33, on a charge of child neglect, causing the death of 20-month-old Elliaunna (Elli) M. Plummer.
Investigators knew that Hill had moved to Michigan and was staying in various places in the northern part of the state. On September 17, 2023, officers in the Marquette County Sheriff’s Department in Michigan located and arrested Hill after conducting a traffic stop. Marquette County, Michigan, is approximately 11 hours from Bedford. An extradition hearing was held in Michigan, where Hill waived extradition rights. Lawrence County Sheriff Department transport officers brought Hill back to Lawrence County on September 25, where she was booked into the Lawrence County Jail.
According to a probable cause affidavit, on November 23, 2022, at 12:16 p.m., officers were requested to go to IU Health Bedford Hospital by the Department of Child Services caseworker, who reported that Elli had been flown by a medical helicopter from IU Health to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis.
The baby had suffered a brain bleed, a broken collar bone, and had head and facial bruising. The child also had a swollen and deformed head with bruising to her forehead and the left and right sides of her face.
The baby had arrived at the IU Health Bedford Hospital for treatment at 11:01 a.m.
The caseworker reported they have received two anonymous Hotline tips about the child’s welfare.
The first tip was received on November 17, 2022, at 1:26 p.m., reporting suspicious smells coming from Elli’s apartment with her mother. The caller reported the odor of marijuana and a strong chemical smell.
The caller reported Elli’s mother, Cheyenne Hill, had admitted to the caller that she had smoked marijuana, and the caller said they believed Hill was using meth. The caller reported seeing lightened bruises on Elli’s face and had been told that the toddler had fallen out of bed. The caller reported the bruising had been there for less than a week, but they didn’t believe Elli had been physically abused.
The second tip was received on November 23, 2022, at approximately 10:58 a.m. This caller reported the injuries were possibly abuse-related and that they appeared to be non-accidental, and they were suspicious about the explanation of how the child was injured. The caller reported there were fingerprint bruises on the side of the child’s face, which were consistent with someone grabbing the child’s face and squeezing. They also said the child appeared to be lethargic or “half dead” and could barely hold her head up. The caller reported Hill had left for work and left the child with her boyfriend, Cameron Fleming, despite Elli’s condition.
Investigators spoke to Hill on November 23, 2022, and she told police that on that day, Elli woke up whining at approximately 3:40 a.m., and she noticed the swelling on Elli’s forehead had returned. Hill told police she did not feel it was serious enough to call an ambulance. She said, “As a mom, she would know if something was wrong with her baby.” Hill subsequently admitted that was a failure on her part.
Hill stated she woke up at 8:00 a.m. later that morning, and Elli was still sleeping, and she heard her
snoring. She said she was surprised Elli was sleeping that late and not whining. Hill went into Cameron Fleming’s bedroom and talked with him for about forty minutes before returning to where Elli was sleeping. She said the boyfriend said Elli looked pale. Hill gently pulled on Elli and called her name. That is when she noticed Elli’s breathing was shallow and that Elli’s hands and feet were tensing or constricting up. She advised that she gently pulled on Elli, called her name, and put water in her mouth, but Elli did not respond. Hill stated she flicked water in Elli’s face, and Elli responded with a moaning sound and grunted. Hill opened Elli’s eyes and noticed they did not dilate but seemed normal. Hill stated she tried to get Elli to respond or wake up until 9:30 a.m. when she left for work.
Hill stated she smoked marijuana before she left because she was freaking out and worried, and marijuana helps when she is stressed.
On November 23, 2022, Cameron Fleming, Hill’s boyfriend, who shares an apartment with Hill and Elli, reported Hill would throw Elli’s food on the floor for her to eat. She referred to it as “free-roaming”. Fleming reported on November 22 that after Hill picked up Elli from the babysitter, Elli’s forehead injury was much worse, huge, and looked “Klingonish”. He described it as so big that one side of the swelling was down further on the forehead than the other. Fleming reported that he realized Elli should go to the hospital at this point. He stated that when the injury originally happened, “we all” told Hill that Elli needed to go to the hospital. Fleming reported that on November 23, 2022, he and Hill checked on Elli shortly after 9:00 a.m. before Hill left for work.
He told police Elli, at that time, was lying face up with her legs straight as if they were tensed up, and she appeared pale and uncomfortable, and her eyes were partially open. Her breathing was labored and erratic. Elli would take a breath and then not take another breath for ten to twenty-five seconds. He stated Elli was snoring and had never heard her snore before. There was also a “hematoma,” or bad bruise on her forehead that had been there for eight to ten days. He stated Hill had previously told him that the injury was from Elli hitting her head on an end table.
He stated Hill initially attempted to wake Elli by talking to her and gently shaking her, mentioning that the babysitter and her boyfriend had told her Elli had been sleepy all day the day before, which made her think Elli just needed sleep. Fleming stated he told Hill he didn’t think that was the case, that it was worse than that. He stated he believed Hill thought the same thing but stated she had to go to work.
While leaving for work, she told Fleming that “if Elli wakes up, take her downstairs” to the babysitter.
Fleming told police he thought “it was odd” that Hill would go to work because of the child’s condition.
A co-worker told investigators that Hill arrived at work and asked her, “Did you ever have a problem with your baby not wanting to wake up?” Hill told her co-worker, “Well, my baby won’t wake up,” before continuing with her work.
Hill had told the co-worker on November 15, 2022, that her child had a brain tumor that bled occasionally.
Hill told a second co-worker, “I couldn’t wake her that morning and that when Cameron woke her (Elli) up, she was incoherent”.
Elli’s babysitter told police Elli had a big “goose egg” on her forehead on November 15, 2022, that “was supposedly caused by her falling off the bed”. She stated Hill told her she had contacted Elli’s doctor about the injury and was told it would go away in five days. The babysitter watched Elli on November 15, 16, and 17 from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. the knot’s size on her forehead did not change but did cause Elli’s eyes to squint a little. She told police she told Hill numerous times to take Elli to the emergency room for treatment.
The babysitter told police the bruising on Elli’s face became more prominent beneath her eyes and on her cheeks as time wore on. On one occasion, when she noticed small dark bruises on Elli’s face, Hill explained Elli had gotten her head stuck in the futon upside down and could not get out.
The babysitter told police that Elli’s personality seemed to change, she became clingy, wanting to be close to her, and wouldn’t play by herself.
She reported when she babysat Elli on November 22, 2022, the swelling was back. The babysitter’s fiancé told police he had first observed Elli’s head injury on November 15, 2022. He described it as a mass that was so swollen and pronounced it had caused swelling in Elli’s eyes and lips. He stated when he told Hill she needed to take Elli to the hospital, she responded by telling them, “Under no circumstances are you to call an ambulance or take her in yourself. I will make the decisions. That is my child”. He said Hill told them Elli was alright; it was just swelling from where she hit her head.
On November 23, 2022, Hill received a message from Fleming stating Elli needed to go to the hospital.
She left work and took her to IU Health Bedford Hospital.
A female neighbor told police she had, on one occasion in mid-September 2022, observed Hill toss four donuts on the floor for Elli to eat, explaining Elli “free ranges or “free roam”. She told police she noticed the bruising on Elli’s forehead on November 17, 2022. She described the injury as being the entire width of her forehead and about two inches deep, and her entire forehead was swollen. Hill had told her the baby had fallen off the bed and hit her head on the hardwood floor, but then days later, said the child was injured after running into the counter.
On October 7, 2022, Hill sent a text message to Fleming stating, “Elli was f***ing terrible last night
when we came back. She wouldn’t stop crying. I wanted to throw her (believed to be referring to Ellie)”.
A second text to Fleming stated. “Let me get this asshole to bed (believed to be referring to Ellie)”.
On November 11, 2022, Hill told co-worker Elli that she was sick and that she might get a phone call to take her to the emergency room. Hill said Elli was born with a tumor on her brain and it was bleeding. A day later, Hill told the same co-worker Elli fell off of the bed and hit her head, causing bleeding in the brain.
The co-worker told Hill if it were her child, she would take Elli to the hospital and would not be at work, but Hill remained at work. She also recalled Hill telling her Elli had gotten her head stuck in a futon, and when asked if she took her to the hospital, Hill responded no. Hill replied, “I don’t have to go to the hospital. Elli is going to be ok.”
Another resident in the apartment complex reported that on November 13, 2022. he received a text message from Fleming saying Elli had two black eyes and her hair was falling out.
On November 18, 2022, Hill told a co-worker her little girl had a broken collar bone and believed a neighbor who didn’t like Elli had hurt her.
On November 21, 2022, Hill told another co-worker that Elli used to be beautiful, and now she was ugly. She also said Fleming would marry her if she didn’t have a baby.
Another resident in the apartment building reported on November 1 they had spoken to Hill and seen Elli and thought the child had chocolate all over her face, but it was bruising. Hill said it was from Elli randomly jumping off things, falling on the floor, and pulling on her ears and hair so much it caused bruising.
On November 23, 2022, after being transferred to Riley Hospital, police received a report from an IU Child Protection Program Nurse Practitioner that stated there had been no accidental history provided that
would account for the patient’s (Elli) traumatic and likely fatal injuries. Further, no medical
On November 25, 2022, Indiana Donor Network Family Service Representative made a note in
her report Hill referred to Elli as “not a nice kid” and stated that she (Hill) believes Elli would have been
the next “Jeffrey Dahmer”. Hill stated, “Something wasn’t right with her”.
On November 26, 2022, Elli was pronounced dead at 4:35 p.m.. According to Deputy Coroner Herniter’s
report per hospital staff, Elli appeared to be malnourished and approximately ten pounds underweight.
On November 29, 2022, a post-mortem examination conducted by Pathologist Doctor Amanda Paul
revealed Elli was malnourished, had a laceration to her upper and lower frenulum that were not from
medical intervention, a right acute clavicle fracture, and multiple subgaleal hemorrhages – an accumulation of blood that forms between a baby’s skull and the skin on their scalp. Dr. Paul
concluded the manner of death was homicide and that the injuries would have occurred after November
21, 2022, and the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.
On December 7, 2022. Hill submitted to a stipulated polygraph examination. Indiana State
Police Sergeant Polygraph Examiner Jason Sample performed the examination. The examiner believed that Hill was not truthful and failed the polygraph test.
When asked why she referred to her daughter as Jeffrey Dahmer, she began to laugh and said Elli was an asshole.
The information was forwarded to the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Department, and a warrant was issued for Hill’s arrest.
One dead in officer-involved shooting in Bedford
The incident started earlier Thursday, September 28, 2023, at approximately 9:57 p.m., when a female arrived at the Bedford Police Department to report 47-year-old Daymon A. Hubbard of Bedford was following her in a gray Chevrolet Trax and she wanted to file a harassment complaint.
At approximately 10:05 p.m., a Bedford officer believed he observed the Chevrolet Trax on 17th Street near the K Street intersection. Bedford officers followed the vehicle to the Western Avenue area when a vehicle pursuit was initiated. The Chevrolet Trax struck a patrol vehicle during the pursuit and stopped next to the home at 2755 Western Avenue.
The incident escalated when Hubbard arrived at 2755 Western Avenue, and three Bedford Police Department officers discharged their weapons. Neighbors in the area reported hearing 8 to 10 gunshots.
At approximately 10:37 p.m., officers requested an ambulance, and Hubbard was transported to IU Health Bedford Hospital where he died from his gunshot wounds.
Police have not released if Hubbard was armed or a weapon was recovered at the scene.
At 10:38 p.m. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department deputies were requested to assist at 27th Street and Western Avenue.
The incident involving the Bedford Police Officers was captured on body cameras. Investigators from the Bloomington and Jasper Districts and Crime Scene Investigators from both districts responded to the scene. Crime Scene Investigators documented and processed evidence at the incident location. The Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office responded to the scene to assist with the investigation.
No uninvolved citizens or officers were injured during the incident.
Bedford Police Department Chief Terry Moore advised the three officers involved, Sergeant Toby Gerkin, Officer Clay Blackburn, and Officer Nick Crulo, have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure in this type of investigation.
Chief Terry Moore, Prosecutor Sam Arp, and Mayor Sam Craig were also at the scene. A chaplain arrived to assist the family and emergency personnel at the scene.
