Robin L. Everitt

Indiana State Police arrest stepson in double shooting

November 9, 2009

An argument among family members ended with one man dead and another injured following a double shooting Sunday three miles outside of Austin, Indiana.

Family members, who did not want to be interviewed, stood at the edge of a dark, desolate driveway Sunday evening as crime scene investigators combed over the home in the 3700 block of Bogardus Road, located just east of the city of Austin, Indiana.

Indiana State Police say 59-year old Robin L. Everitt was shot and killed following an argument with his stepson, Jason Uhlenbrock, 29. Neighbors say Uhlenbrock went to the home to visit his mother and Everitt but became angry after the two apparently told him he could not go deer hunting.

Investigators with Indiana State Police would not confirm those details.

During altercation, another man, whose identity could not be verified, was also shot in the abdomen, according to Sgt. Jerry Goodin, a spokesman for Indiana State Police Post in Sellersburg. That man, described as a friend of Everitt, was later flown to University Hospital in Louisville where he remained in stable condition late Sunday.

Uhlenbrock remains in the Scott County Jail charged with murder and attempted murder.

Also:

A heartbroken southern Indiana family wants the public to know what really happened this weekend when a man in Austin, Indiana was killed.

59-year-old Robin Everitt was shot to death Sunday afternoon in his home in Scott County.

The man's stepson is charged with the crime but the suspect's family says it’s an act of violence that goes much deeper than the police investigation.

A woman lost her husband to a gunshot wound and now her son is charged with killing him.

A close family friend says they don't know why this happened but they have an idea about what triggered the alleged act of violence.

Those who know 29-year-old Jason Uhlenbrock say this isn't the man they love.

They say his mug shot illustrates his state of mind. They tell WHAS11 that he is bi-polar and struggled with the illness for years.

They believe he was on his medication when he allegedly shot and killed his stepfather Robin Everitt and wounded Everitt’s friend at their home in Austin.

“The most difficult thing with bipolar disorder is accepting that you have the disorder it takes 10 to 30 years sometimes before they really accept it and do something about it,” said a psychiatrist who didn't treat Uhlenbrock but does treat those with bi-polar disorder.

He tells us what happens to the mind when those who are bi-polar stop taking their medication.

“It can cause impulsivity become very short tempered and explosive and on edge.”

Those who suffer from bi-polar disorder say it’s not always easy taking medication because your mind isn't working at a rapid pace.

“The medication brings you to a normal level but you miss that feeling because it helps you accomplish things it helps you focus on intricate things that you can get done very rapidly and you miss that.”

Molly Clouse also tells me she didn't like the public stigma that came from taking medication for a mental illness.

“If we don't have hope that life will get better it’s hard to stay on our medications.” Uhlenbrock's family and friends didn't want to be interviewed for this story but say they hope it helps others to think twice about not taking their medication.

National statistics show that 1 in 5 adults have a diagnosable mental illness.

The courts will have to decide if Uhlenbrock is mentally competent to stand trial.

Indiana State Police say that when the shooting happened Monrday there didn't appear to be any signs of an argument.