Curtis Butler

On January 9, 2024, Curtis Butler, a 52-year-old White man, was found deceased in a wooded area behind the Wheeler Mission in Bloomington, Indiana. He was discovered inside his tent at a large homeless encampment, having suffered a fatal gunshot wound. An autopsy later confirmed that injuries from the gunshot were the cause of his death.

Police were called to the area, near the 200 block of S. Westplex Avenue, at approximately 1:45 p.m. following a report that a man had been shot. When officers arrived, bystanders directed them to the encampment where they located Mr. Butler. Individuals in the area told investigators they had heard multiple gunshots just moments before 911 was called. From the outset, police believed that the person responsible was acquainted with the victim.

The investigation quickly identified a suspect, 41-year-old Evelynn Keo-McClendon, who had been in a relationship with Mr. Butler. Witnesses reported seeing the two arguing near his tent shortly before the shooting. According to their accounts, the argument escalated dramatically when Keo-McClendon raised a revolver, fired a single shot into the air, and then lowered the weapon to fire multiple rounds into the tent where Butler was located. After the shooting, she reportedly gathered her belongings and fled the scene.

Following a search, police determined that Keo-McClendon was inside a residence in the 500 block of S. Basswood Drive. In the early morning hours of January 19, 2024, she walked out of the apartment and was arrested by officers without incident. She was subsequently charged with one count of felony murder and held at the Monroe County Jail. Mr. Butler’s death was the second killing to occur in the same wooded area in just over a month.

On October 8, 2026, Evelynn Keo-McClendon pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. A judge sentenced her to 17 and a half years in prison for the killing of Curtis Butler. The case is now considered closed as of October 2026.