Bloomington man accused of murder after Lawrence County shooting death

Two men who had been living in Bloomington are under arrest in Lawrence County in connection with a Saturday morning shooting that left a Bedford man dead and a Mitchell man seriously wounded.

The incident happened about 10:30 a.m. May 18 in the 500 block of Sunny Acres Lane, which is just southeast of Bedford.

Bedford man Johnnie Grubb killed, Mitchell man seriously wounded

According to a news release from the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responding to the scene found two men with gunshot wounds. Johnnie Grubb IV, 44, was pronounced dead after being taken to IU Health Bedford Hospital. The second victim, a 49-year-old man from Mitchell, was flown to a Louisville hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries.

Deputies learned from witnesses that at least two men had fled in a vehicle, and that the shooting had been recorded on video at the scene and from surrounding residences.

Detectives reviewed video, interviewed witnesses and identified two suspects: 36-year-old Timothy Brian Helton and 29-year-old Christopher Cecil. Both men are living in Bloomington, the news release said. In court records, Helton has a Bedford address and Cecil's is in Bloomfield.

Helton is charged in Lawrence Superior Court 2 with murder, attempted murder, criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, unlawful carrying of a handgun by a felon and two counts of pointing a firearm at another person. An initial hearing was scheduled for May 22.

The news release said narcotics detectives tracked Helton to a residence on Mt. Gilead Road in Monroe County and watched the home. After he and others left in a vehicle, Bloomington Police Department officers stopped it on the Ind. 45/46 Bypass and arrested Helton.

Police found Cecil at a residence in Greene County, where he was taken into custody on a probation violation from Monroe County. He was charged Monday with possession of methamphetamine in Greene County, where he’s being held at the county jail. No charges in connection with the Sunny Acres Lane shooting had been filed against Cecil by Monday afternoon.

The news release alleges it was Helton who fired the shots, that Cecil was with him and they fled together.

Investigators said the two men arrived at the Sunny Acres Lane address shortly before the shooting, where a disagreement stemming from an ongoing dispute from several days earlier erupted. “Helton allegedly pulled out a firearm and shot multiple rounds, striking Grubb and the second victim,” the news release said.

Indiana State Police and Bloomington police participated in the investigation. The news release credited narcotics detectives with tracking down the suspects because neither has a permanent address.

Lawrence County Sheriff Greg Day said multiple agencies worked together in a three-county area to identify, locate and arrest Helton. “Thanks to this teamwork and the excellent work by our detectives, a very complex investigation led to the apprehension and arrest of the suspect within a very short period of time.”

Timothy Helton in and out of court system for years

Helton’s criminal history in recent years is extensive. In April 2022, he was charged in Monroe County with possession of meth, resisting law enforcement with a vehicle and reckless driving. That case is pending, and a June pre-trial hearing is scheduled.

In March 2022, Helton pleaded guilty in Monroe County to carrying a handgun after being convicted of a felony; a two-year jail sentence was dismissed.

In 2017, Helton was charged with attempted murder and criminal recklessness for shooting a gun into a building. The attempted murder charge was dismissed as part of a plea agreement, and Helton pleaded guilty to the criminal recklessness charge. Court records indicate he didn’t show up for his sentencing hearing in April 2019. He was found, jailed and received a six-year prison sentence.

State prison records show Helton was released in August 2023. He had served three previous prison stints since 2011, for criminal recklessness and drug possession.

Contact H-T reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com or 812-318-5967.