Charges filed against suspect; more details emerge about Friday night shooting
Dustin Turley, the Jasonville man accused of shooting Trenton Keller multiple times in Hymera last Friday night, is facing a preliminary charge of attempted murder, a Level 1 felony. More details about the shooting emerged when the criminal case was filed against Turley yesterday, on Monday, August 3, in Sullivan Superior Court.
Dustin Levi Turley, 33, Jasonville, was booked into the Sullivan County Jail late Sunday afternoon, August 2, after he was taken into custody in Jasonville.
The shooting occurred at 603 East Depot Street in Hymera last Friday night, July 31, around 10 p.m.
Deputies from the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department were dispatched along with Sullivan County emergency medical personnel including Sullivan County Ambulance Service, Hymera Rescue and Shelburn Rescue, followed by officers from the Sullivan Police Department, Shelburn Town Marshal, Jasonville Police Department, Farmersburg Town Marshal, Indiana Conservation Officers and the Indiana State Police.
The suspected shooter, Dustin Turley, was not there. Witnesses said he took off running immediately after the shooting. They said he ran south into the woods.
Trenton Keller, 33, Jasonville, had been shot multiple times outside the residence. He was transported to Regional Hospital in Terre Haute and from there, he was airlifted to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. No additional details regarding his condition or the extent of his injuries has been released.
Sullivan County Sheriff Clark Cottom contacted the Indiana State Police Putnamville Post Criminal Investigation Division to request assistance with the investigation.
ISP Detective Don Curtis Jr. was dispatched around 10:51 p.m. and the ISP is the lead investigatory agency in the case. Det. Curtis was appointed to his position in 2007 and has years of experience in investigations including shootings, attempted murders and homicides.
In a probable cause affidavit prepared by Det. Curtis, he notes that the affidavit was being submitted to establish probable cause and does not include every fact that he learned during the course of the investigation.
According to Det. Curtis, on the night of the shooting, Trenton Keller was working on an ATV, outside the residence on Depot Street, then he went inside the house. There were four individuals inside, two men and two women. Dustin Turley was one of the men.
During the course of the investigation, Det. Curtis talked to numerous law enforcement officers and the individuals who were inside the residence, except for Turley.
During interviews, one of the women said she had been married to Turley but they were separated. She said she was currently in a relationship with Keller.
According to the witnesses, when Keller went into the house, he and Turley got into a verbal altercation and Keller told Turley to leave. Keller then went back outside to continue working on his ATV. Then Turley also went outside.
The man who was present said when Turley went outside, he drew a handgun from his waistband and fired at least four rounds at Keller.
The other woman who was present said she was standing between the two men when Turley pulled a handgun out of his waistband. She said she moved out from between the two men and Turley fired approximately five shots at Keller.
The witnesses said that after the shooting, Turley ran toward a camper parked in front of the trailer on a neighboring property, then ran south into a wooded area.
According to one witness, the man who owned the neighboring trailer had a video surveillance system that was active and recording during the incident, with one of the cameras facing the area where the shooting took place.
Sheriff Cottom issued a release of initial information and informed the public that Turley was wanted for attempted murder and was on the run.
On Sunday, August 2, around 3:30 p.m., deputies were searching the Hymera area in an attempt to locate Turley when a tip came in that Turley had just left the Hymera area on a motorcycle.
Minutes later, the Greene County Sheriff’s Department got a 911 call from a Jasonville resident who said Turley had just arrived there and the residents were detaining him.
Within minutes, deputies from both Greene and Sullivan County Sheriff’s Departments responded to the residence and Turley was arrested around 4:30 p.m.
Sullivan County Deputy David Holmes transported Turley to the Sullivan County Jail where he was booked in with bond was set at $50,000 cash only. As of Tuesday evening, the Sullivan County Jail said Turley has not posted bond and remains in the custody of Sullivan County. The date for Turley’s initial hearing is not yet known.