BEDFORD – Timothy Brian Helton, 37, was sentenced Tuesday afternoon to 120 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections by Lawrence County Superior Court II Judge Robert Cline after a jury convicted him of murder and attempted murder.
Helton was found guilty by a Lawrence County jury of the murder of Johnnie Grubb IV and the attempted murder of Jeffrey Crane, along with firearm-related charges, stemming from a shooting at Grubb’s home on May 18, 2024. Helton also pleaded guilty to being a habitual offender, which added significant time to his sentence.
During the sentencing, Judge Cline expressed bewilderment at the senselessness of the crime. “This makes no sense, why this happened,” Judge Cline stated. He pointed to Helton’s apparent lack of mercy, noting tattoos on Helton stating “no mercy,” “unpredictable,” and depicting a grenade. Comparing it to his own combat experience, Judge Cline remarked on the “ease and speed of this shooting shown in the video, which showed no hesitation on your part,” contrasting it with his initial hesitation in combat.
The violent confrontation occurred at Grubb’s residence on Sunny Acres Lane, specifically in a garage where Grubb, Crane, and Jimmy Allgood were working. Grubb sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the chest, liver, stomach, and kidney, ultimately succumbing to blood loss at the hospital. Crane was shot in the stomach and leg, necessitating helicopter transport to the University of Louisville Hospital for treatment. Crane testified that the shooting stemmed from an earlier incident where Helton attempted to steal a 4-wheeler. While victims tested positive for meth, it was not a factor in Grubb’s death. Helton was also under the influence of meth.
The defense had argued self-defense, citing a prior altercation and a miscommunication via text messages with a 15-year-old Monroe County male teen whom Helton mistakenly believed to be Crane, which led to the fatal confrontation.
Judge Cline also addressed details from Helton’s presentencing report, including a conversation with a therapist where Helton claimed to suffer from PTSD due to being shot in a past confrontation in Monroe County and having a difficult childhood. Helton told the therapist he had never carried a gun until after that incident. However, Judge Cline countered this statement, noting that Helton’s criminal record before the deadly incident included several charges involving a firearm. “Many people have horrible childhoods and use drugs to bury the terrible hurt they carry inside, but they don’t hurt people intentionally. These victims did not facilitate this,” Judge Cline emphasized.
Before sentencing, Helton made a statement of remorse. “I didn’t go out there to hurt anyone,” Helton said. “I made a split-second decision, and there is nothing anybody can say that would make it make people understand.” However, Judge Cline remained unconvinced by Helton’s sincerity, stating, “There is no remorse. Maybe you are remorseful because you got caught and the length of prison time you are now facing.”
During the proceedings, victims’ families delivered emotional statements. Crane’s wife, Jamie, submitted an 11-page letter to the court, which Judge Cline read privately. Grubb’s sister, Debbie Cadwell, faced Helton in the courtroom and read a letter from their mother, Melissa Deckard. The letter described Johnnie as a loving, compassionate, and caring son devoted to his family, expressing “never-ending grief” and a “shattered heart.” The letter concluded, “His life mattered, his life was precious, and the world is a darker place without him.” Cadwell then shared her intense suffering, telling Helton, “You took my brother’s life…remember my face, my name and my voice,” and asked the Judge to show no mercy.
Grubb’s fiancée, Ashley Bauer, also addressed the court, recounting the day of the murder and Grubb’s last words. She brought Grubb’s ashes in an urn to the courtroom, stating, “He spent the last few minutes of his life letting me and the girls know how much he loved us.” She pleaded with Judge Cline to “Give this man life so he doesn’t have a chance to do this again.”
Helton was given credit for 469 days already served. He plans to appeal both his sentence and guilty verdict, and Judge Cline has appointed a public defender to represent him during the appeal process.
Prosecutor Sam Arp stated, “My office feels for the loss suffered by the Grubb family and the hardships suffered by the Crane family. Countless hours were dedicated to ensuring that Timothy Helton was held accountable and removed from ever walking the streets of Lawrence County again. It was a tremendous effort by Sheriff Day, his crew, and the Troopers out of the Bloomington District. Additionally, our office wants to express gratitude towards all the Fire and EMS personnel who responded to Sunny Acres Lane that day.“
