For almost ten years, Carole Cleveland traveled every three months to meet with Evansville police detectives to discuss the murder case of her son, Shane Breedlove.
Along with her came Shane’s stepmother, Jan Breedlove, who promised she’d be with Cleveland every step of the way in their journey for justice for Shane.
In those ten years, both women lost their husbands. Shane’s dad, Jim Breedlove, and stepfather, David Cleveland, both died of cancer. No matter the circumstances—either caring for their husbands or grieving their deaths—the two women never missed a meeting with EPD detectives.
They would not quit, not slow down. It was too important. Cleveland, a Henderson resident, said she would always email detectives on the case and tell them, “our next meeting needs to be” in a couple weeks. Then she and Jan Breedlove would go, get a report from them and make suggestions on the direction the investigation needed to go.
“It’s our belief that the squeaky wheel gets the oil,” Cleveland said in a Thursday interview with the Hendersonian.
In the meantime, Cleveland was keeping the case in the public eye as best she could with Facebook posts highlighting Shane, his case, updates and timelines, she said.
She said they were doing “anything we could to keep the case alive.”
On Wednesday, the case made its first big public step in ten years when a man was indicted for the July 19, 2015, murder of Shane, who grew up in Henderson County. Hours after the indictment, Bobby Michael Handegard turned himself in.
There could be more later. EPD Chief Phillip Smith said at a Thursday press conference that the case is still considered an active investigation. Handegard was one of three men who in 2015 were arrested for the murder shortly after it occurred.
Three months after those 2015 arrests, all three were released after the Evansville prosecutor at the time, Nick Hermann, determined that there was not enough evidence to go forward. Cleveland said the early detectives “jumped the gun and made arrests before they had the goods on them.” If they went to trial and lost, there’d be no way to try them again, Cleveland said.
“We were heartbroken,” Cleveland said.
According to Cleveland, Shane was gifted in just about any musical instrument, and he possessed on-stage charisma both when leading a band or hosting karaoke, which is the work he was on his way to when he was murdered.
Cleveland said he was walking to KC’s Timeout, where he worked sound and hosted karaoke, and was talking to a friend on the phone. She said he was happy with the world.
As he walked, at about 9:30 p.m. on the 6000 block of Washington Avenue, Shane was gunned down. Cleveland said she still has no idea what the motive was.
Since the charges were dropped without prejudice ten years ago, Cleveland said a number of sets of detectives switched off and on the case, which are transitions that happen regularly in police departments.
Those changes left her and Jan Breedlove to start over with new investigators who the two women had to bring up to snuff. She said the most recent detectives, Jonathon Oakley and Nick Hackworth, took over about two years ago and took an intense interest in the case, sometimes working overtime of the years-old case.
Around May, Cleveland said the detectives asked them if they were interested in bringing the case before a grand jury. They were.
After months of preparation, the grand jury met Tuesday morning. According to Cleveland, authorities subpoenaed some 20 people who had knowledge of the case, and by Wednesday afternoon, they had enough to indict Handegard.
Cleveland said she had some misgivings about taking the case to a grand jury. But after so many years and so much investigation, it was a go now or “get off the pot kind of deal.”
A Courier and Press reporter first informed them an indictment had come down as they were driving to the courts building. A detective called them soon after. They cried and screamed, knowing a first step of justice for Shane was taken.
But it’s not over.
As they left the Thursday afternoon press conference, authorities said they’ll be getting in touch with the women in the next couple weeks to set up meetings for the next step, Cleveland said.
“This is not over. We will be going to trial,” Cleveland said. “Until we get a guilty verdict at trial, I won’t be still.”
