Mixed verdict returned in Wright felony trial
An Owen County jury convicted Kelsey Jo Nicole Wright, 31, of Coal City, on felony charges of aggravated battery and criminal recklessness on Aug. 20 following a three-day trial. The verdict was publicly released by the Owen County Prosecutor’s Office on its official Facebook page.
The jury returned a mixed verdict for Wright, convicting her of Level 3 felony aggravated battery and Level 6 felony criminal recklessness, while acquitting her of Level 5 felony battery with a deadly weapon and two Class A misdemeanor theft charges. Judge Don VanDerMoere II accepted the findings, formally entered the convictions and acquittals, and ordered Wright remanded to the Owen County Sheriff’s custody.
The legal penalties for the convictions carry potential prison time. A Level 3 felony carries a sentence of three to 16 years with a nine-year advisory sentence, while a Level 6 felony carries six months to two and a half years with a one-year advisory sentence, alongside potential fines of up to $10,000 per count.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on March 27, 2024, at approximately 11:04 p.m., law enforcement with the Owen County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) responded to a shooting complaint in western Owen County along rural Patricksburg Road where a resident reported hearing a single gunshot and someone saying "whoa" near a truck parked in the roadway before its lights were turned off.
The affidavit details that upon arriving, OCSD Sergeant Torrey Wallace checked the area after observing dogs running across the road and located a female sitting in a field on the north side. The officer observed that she had dried blood from her nose to her upper lip and a small drop of blood on her sweatshirt. The court document notes that the female initially refused to answer questions or identify herself but agreed to sit in the officer's patrol vehicle. She denied needing an ambulance, noted she was not driving, and repeatedly stated she did not know why her nose was bleeding or how it happened. According to the affidavit, she also recalled seeing someone walking outside with a light from a nearby residence.
While the officer spoke with her, radio traffic indicated that a male victim had arrived at the Owen County EMS facility with a gunshot wound. Spencer Police Department officers responded to the facility, where the victim stated that a female named Kelsey Wright had shot him. When asked, the female confirmed her name was Kelsey. Detectives later noted in the affidavit that the officer smelled an odor of an alcoholic beverage on Wright, and she admitted to consuming a couple of beers and a few shots at a friend's house.
After learning Wright had an active warrant out of Monroe County, Sergeant Wallace took her into custody. As noted in the probable cause affidavit, as they left the scene in the patrol vehicle, Wright mentioned that "there was a 22 mag out in the field." Other officers remaining on the scene subsequently located the firearm.
While Wright was being transported, OCSD Detective Nathan Martin spoke with the victim at IU Health-Bloomington Hospital. According to the probable cause affidavit, the victim stated that he and Wright had been in an off-and-on dating relationship for five years (though Wright later estimated six months to investigators) and were returning home to the Coal City/Patricksburg area from Bloomington after drinking. The affidavit states he reported they got into an argument in the truck and Wright "jumped out of the truck with my gun and my phone." As outlined in the charging document, the victim explained that the truck engine was running with the headlights facing west when he stopped and walked around the driver's side toward the back to see where she went. Wright then shot him from about 30 yards away using his bolt-action .22 magnum rifle equipped with a clip. The victim heard the gunshot, fell to the ground, and was shot in the "kneecap area." He reportedly crawled back to his truck and drove away to seek help.
The affidavit further details that at the Owen County Sheriff's Department, Sergeant Wallace read Wright her Miranda rights using an Advice of Rights form, which she agreed to sign with an "X." Wright stated that she lived with the victim and recalled lying in the field about 30 to 40 yards from the truck with a bloody nose. She reportedly acknowledged retrieving his green Ruger .22 mag rifle from the front of the truck and taking it into the field, though she claimed she had never fired it before, despite having experience with similar bolt-action rifles. OCSD Lieutenant Clint Wampler requested that the officer briefly wait to interview Wright until Detective Dan McBride arrived at the OCSD.
According to the probable cause affidavit, once Detective McBride arrived, Wright was re-read her rights and interviewed again by both officers. Wright recalled seeing the victim walk toward her, feeling "terrified and scared to death" that he was going to drag her back to the truck, and telling him not to come any closer. She stated she often has "blackout modes" during major events and could not remember the argument, how her nose started bleeding, or getting out of the truck. When asked directly if she shot the gun, she replied "apparently," but maintained throughout questioning that she had no recollection of loading the weapon, disengaging the safety, pointing it at the victim, or firing it. Following the interview, Wright was formally placed under arrest.
Judge VanDerMoere will sentence Wright during a hearing scheduled for Sept. 21 at 9 a.m.
Prosecutor Benjamin Kim and Chief Deputy Prosecutor Parker Trulock represented the State of Indiana, supported by lead investigating officer Sergeant Wallace of the OCSD. The investigating team also included Lieutenant Wampler, Detective McBride, and Detective Martin of the OCSD, as well as officers with the Spencer Police Department.
Defense attorney Ashley Fleetwood of the Gibson Law Office represented Wright.
The Owen County Prosecutor’s Office expressed gratitude to both the Owen County Sheriff’s Department and the Spencer Police Department for their work on the case.
