At an April 18 sentencing hearing at Boone County Courthouse, Damoine Wilcoxson received the maximum sentence of 65 years from Judge Matthew Kincaid for the 2016 murder of 82-year-old Zionsville resident John Clements.
The sentence is to be served consecutively with the 37-year sentence Wilcoxson is currently serving for two Marion County shootings that led to his arrest and forensically connected him to the Zionsville crime. Wilcoxson will serve a total of 102 years in jail, with limited application of good time served.
Kincaid found Wilcoxson guilty of the murder Feb. 21, following a two-day bench trial. Wilcoxson obtained a new lawyer before the April 18 sentencing.
During the hearing, Boone County Deputy Prosecutor T.K. Morris read a letter of impact from the victim’s family. Clements’ children said the murder most negatively impacted their mother, Carol Clements, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
At the time of the murder, Jack was caring for Carol at their home of 47 years. After the loss of her husband, she moved to an assisted living facility and is experiencing confusion and distress.
“The actions of Mr. Wilcoxson took all the remaining joy from the life of our mother,” the letter read.
Morris asked the judge to consider multiple aggravating factors in the sentencing, including the violent nature of the murder, Wilcoxson’s criminal history and the presence of children near the suburban crime scene.
“This is a truly despicable act with a truly innocent victim,” Morris said.
Defense attorney Michael Gross argued that Wilcoxson’s young age of 23 should be considered a mitigating factor, and that he has a close relationship with his family.
After deliberating for close to 30 minutes, Kincaid gave Wilcoxson a 65-year sentence, citing multiple aggravating factors – the impact on the victim’s family, Wilcoxson’s hateful and violent character and his previous crimes that include possession of weapons and cocaine and probation violation and the two other shootings he performed after killing Clements.
Kincaid said the sentence will be served consecutively because the crimes committed were separate and perpetrators of multiple violent crimes should not serve time for only one crime.
“It is contrary to the rule of law and civil society,” Kincaid said.
