A Bartholomew County judge has sentenced 60-year-old Brent J. Clayburn to 35 years in prison for attempted murder, closing the book on a case that started with a late-night shooting on Silver Fox Drive in Columbus in September 2024. The term will run at the same time as a 12-year sentence for criminal confinement, and court officials said five years of the 35-year term were suspended to probation.
WBIW reported that a Bartholomew County jury found Clayburn guilty after a four-day trial in April, returning its verdicts on April 16. According to the outlet, prosecutors laid out testimony and forensic evidence over the proceedings, which began April 14, and the jury ultimately convicted Clayburn of attempted murder and criminal confinement with a deadly weapon.
Attack and evidence laid out in affidavit
According to The Republic, the violence broke out around 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 15, 2024, in the 2900 block of Silver Fox Drive after Clayburn rang the doorbell and was allowed into his ex-wife’s home. A probable-cause affidavit cited by the outlet says Clayburn punched the woman, told her “one of us is going to die tonight,” and then fired multiple rounds at her and a male neighbor.
Investigators later seized three handguns, a collapsible .22-caliber rifle, two extra magazines, and several boxes of ammunition, according to the affidavit. They also recovered eight shell casings and counted seven bullet holes in a neighbor’s garage, The Republic reported.
SWAT negotiators end standoff
Mojo 102.9 reported that after the gunfire, Clayburn barricaded himself inside, triggering a roughly two-hour standoff with Columbus police and a SWAT team. Negotiators eventually made contact, and officers took him into custody without any further incident.
Court officials told The Republic that the judge handed down the 35-year sentence on June 26 and ordered the 12-year criminal-confinement term to run concurrently. According to court records cited by the outlet, two criminal recklessness counts and a misdemeanor domestic battery charge were dismissed on April 9. Prosecutors pushed for a tough sentence at the hearing, arguing the crimes put nearby residents in danger.
What the law says
As WBIW notes, attempted murder is a Level 1 felony in Indiana, carrying a possible sentence of 20 to 50 years, with an advisory term of 30 years. The prosecution team in Clayburn’s case consisted of Lindsey Holden, Kim Sexton-Yeager, and Mat Taylor.
Local advocates and court materials pointed to resources for domestic-violence victims as the community continues to deal with the aftermath of the shooting. Clayburn remains in custody while awaiting transfer to the Indiana Department of Correction, and court records will show in the coming weeks whether the defense pursues an appeal or other post-conviction relief.
