ZIONSVILLE, Ind. – After a two-day bench trial, a judge found a 23-year-old Indianapolis man guilty of murder in the death of an 82-year-old Zionsville man in 2016.
On Sept. 8, 2016, John Clements was getting his mail in the middle of the day when he was shot and killed in his driveway. The killing appeared random and set off a search for the shooter that included lockdowns at area schools. However, police were unable to find the suspect.
Several days later, on Oct. 4, someone fired shots at IMPD Northwest District headquarters. On Oct. 13, shots were fired at IMPD North District headquarters.
Police suspected Damoine A. Wilcoxson in connection with the shootings at the IMPD headquarters; he fired shots at police during his arrest on Oct. 31. Forensic testing on shell casings confirmed that the same gun was used in all four locations—Clements’ shooting in Zionsville, the two IMPD headquarters locations and the area where Wilcoxson was arrested.
Subsequent investigation found that the vehicle seen leaving the scene of Clements’ murder was linked to Wilcoxson, who was in possession of the gun used at all four crime scenes. His cell phone was also a key piece of evidence because it contained text messages, photos and GPS information that connected him to the Zionsville murder.
“This was a highly complicated case with four different crime scenes, hundreds of pieces of evidence, 50 plus civilian, law enforcement, and scientific witnesses from multiple agencies and counties. The inter-agency cooperation was crucial in obtaining the evidence necessary to result in a successful prosecution,” said Boone County Deputy Prosecutor T.K. Morris.
“The Clements family and the Town of Zionsville were rocked by the senseless broad daylight shooting of Mr. Clements. Hopefully, this verdict will help heal this heartbreaking loss,” said Boone County Prosecutor Kent Eastwood.
Wilcoxson was previously convicted in Marion County in the shootings targeting the IMPD headquarters and was sentenced to 37 years in that case.
He’ll learn his sentence in the Zionsville case during a hearing on March 22.
