Jury Finds Two Guilty In July 2024 I-65 Highway Shooting

On July 16, 2025, a Boone County jury found James O. Brown, 45, and Kendra Johnson-Brown, 45, guilty for their roles in a highway shooting that occurred on I-65 on July 3, 2024. The verdict followed a three-day trial presided over by Boone County Circuit Judge Lori Schein.

James O. Brown was convicted of: Count I – Attempted Murder, a Level 1 felony & Count II – Aggravated Battery, a Level 3 felony. Kendra Johnson-Brown was convicted of: Count II – Aiding Aggravated Battery, a Level 3 felony. The Attempted Murder charge against Johnson-Brown (Count I) was dismissed by the Court after the presentation of evidence due to insufficient evidence in the record to support the allegation that she possessed the specific intent to commit murder.

The charges stem from a shooting that occurred on the early evening of July 3, 2024. Evidence presented at trial showed that Brown, a passenger in a vehicle driven by JohnsonBrown, fired a shot at a semi-truck while traveling northbound on I-65. Witness testimony revealed that Johnson-Brown was driving aggressively and pursued the semi-truck, operated by Nathan Justus. Once alongside the truck, Brown extended his arm out the passenger window and fired a shot, striking Justus in the head. Justus sustained a severe traumatic brain injury that nearly claimed his life.

The investigation broke open when law enforcement obtained video footage from highway cameras, which helped identify the suspect vehicle. Over the following weeks, investigators executed more than 20 search warrants to gather evidence.

The prosecution team was led by Deputy Prosecutors Andrew Emhardt and TK Morris, along with Detective Dalton Tibbs of the Whitestown Metropolitan Police Department.