BEDFORD – A Bloomington man is behind bars charged with the murder of Johnnie Grubb IV, 44, of Bedford. More information has been released on the crime.
On Saturday, May 18th, at 10:35 a.m., Lawrence County Central Dispatch received a 911 call reporting a shooting in the 500 block of Sunny Acres Lane, just southeast of Bedford.
Deputies Bailey Duprey, Travis Atchinson, Calvin Callahan, Sgt. Anthony Pope and Detective Andrea Barnett rushed to the scene.
When deputies arrived, they found two male victims had been shot. Grubb was found in the home. Jeffery Crane, 49, of Mitchell, was found in the garage. They were transported by ambulance to IU Health Bedford Hospital. Grubb was pronounced dead at the hospital. Crane suffered life-threatening injuries and was flown by medical helicopter to the University of Louisville Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery. He had suffered a gunshot wound to his chest and leg.
Deputies learned two males involved in the shooting had fled the scene in a vehicle. They also learned the shooting had been captured on surveillance video.
Crane was asked who did this; he replied, “Brandon, he pulled a gun on me last week.”
Grubb’s fiancé told police she was inside the home with her two kids when she heard gunshots outside. She said Grubb stumbled into the house and said Crane had been shot, too.
She told police that two males attempted to take their four-wheeler about two weeks before the shooting. Crane caught the individuals, and at that time, one of the males pulled a gun on him.
Sheriff’s Department Command staff, other detectives, and Indiana State Polie evidence technicians responded to the scene.
Detective Michael Williams recovered surveillance footage from neighboring properties. The video showed a black Chevrolet Malibu pulling into the driveway.
Another male witness told police he, Grubb, and Crane were working outside. At one point, all three entered the garage to eat some snacks Crane had in his truck. They then heard someone yell “hello”.
Two white males entered the garage. That is when Crane stated, “You’re the motherf***er that pulled the gun on me.” The man whom this witness called Brian said he stated, “I’m here to talk, ain’t that somethin.” Crane stated, “That’s up to him,” and pointed to Johnny. The witness then saw Crane and Grubb run and then heard seven to eight shots fired. The witness did not see the weapon because he had turned away from the conversation and then heard gunshots. He took cover. After the shots were fired, he said he saw Crane and Grubb were injured. The two males fled the scene. He identified one of the males at Timothy Brian Helton.
Sheriff Greg Day instructed Detective Chris Griggs to respond to Monroe County and assist ISP Detective Caleb Garvin with locating Timothy Helton.
Police learned Helton’s girlfriend owned the vehicle that fled the scene. They also found Helton’s cell phone number and pinged his phone. The phone pinged in the Unionville area in Monroe County. Detectives Garvin and Griggs responded to that area. While searching the area, Detective Garvin located the vehicle at a residence in the 2000 block of Mt. Gilead Road.
Surveillance was established at the residence and on the vehicle. A short time later, the car left the home, with Detective Garvin following. Detective Griggs stayed at the home.
Detective Garvin requested Bloomington Police Officer Bieker stop the vehicle. The traffic stop was made on the State Road 45/46 bypass near Fee Lane. A male driver, Helton, and a female passenger were detained.
Police armed with a search warrant found a handgun under the passenger seat where Helton was sitting. The Ruger P95, a 9mm handgun, was found loaded with 9mm brass bullets.
Helton was transported to the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department for questioning. He told police he had recently relapsed and was doing meth. He told police the last time he used it was the night before and that morning. He at first said he did not know Grubb or Crane and had not gone to their home. However, his story changed when officers told him they had surveillance video of him at the scene.
Helton then admitted “Chris,” also known as “Dirty” was with him.
Helton said he and a friend went to Grubb’s home to get his 4-wheeler. The two got the vehicle into the field, but Grubb and Crane would not let him take it.
Helton returned on May 18th, only the second time he had met Grubb. He walked up and shook Grubb’s hand, and asked if they wanted to get high. Helton had three rocks of meth on him to share. That is when Crane made mention of Helton pulling a gun on him. “Oh, you got a piece on you, huh,” said Grubb, and Grubb went to get a gun. That is when Helton told Grubb not to do that. Helton told police he had heard Grubb was someone who would shoot you, and he had a lot of guns.
Helton told police his understanding was that Grubb could shoot him from his property to the road.
He told police Grubb “turned to grab something and said something about a piece; I got one too or some shit.” Helton said Grubb turned and was getting something, and that is when he pulled his gun and began firing. Helton told police he couldn’t remember how many times he fired his weapon or who he hit.
Sheriff Day told Helton the male was grabbing a weed eater.
Helton then asked who he shot.
Helton told police, “But f***, I was high. I was paranoid.”
Helton stated after the first shot, people were running, and it was chaos. Helton stated, “It ain’t like I shot
him on purpose, well, I shot on purpose.” He told police he wasn’t aiming for Grubb.
After firing the shots, Helton and Dirty ran down the driveway and fled.
Officers identified “Dirty” as 29-year-old Christopher Cecil. Lawrence County investigators and ISP troopers located Cecil at a residence in Greene County. He was arrested on an outstanding felony probation warrant out of Monroe County and a new offense of possession of methamphetamine in Greene County. After being interviewed, he was incarcerated in the Greene County Jail.
Cecil told police he was not involved, but after learning he was captured on video, he said he went there to speak to one of the males about purchasing a car.
Cecil told police that Helton was told not to return to the property, and that is when Helton pulled out a gun and started shooting. Cecil told police he didn’t know why Helton began shooting. He said no one else had a weapon.
Police say no other firearms were recovered at the scene.
Helton is facing charges of murder, attempted murder, criminal recklessness, pointing a loaded firearm, and carrying a firearm without a license with a felony within 15 years.
