Man Sent to Jail for Shooting Mother of His Two Kids during Heated Domestic Dispute; Also Shot Cop who Responded at Scene of Altercation in Indiana
A man from Southern Indiana has been handed a lengthy 60-year prison sentence for the shooting of a police officer from New Albany in May 2023. Barry Sowders has admitted to two counts of attempted murder.
Sowders also confessed to firing shots at the mother of his children, resulting in the second charge of attempted murder. The defendant will face a 30-year sentence for each charge, which will be served consecutively.
In a disturbing incident on May 30, 2023, law enforcement swiftly intervened in a domestic dispute that escalated into a dangerous situation. The individual involved, Sowders, resorted to using a firearm against the mother of his two children.
They eventually located him after Sowders shot New Albany police officer Andy Byrne. Byrne has been forced to retire due to medical reasons as reported by Wave3News.
During the sentencing hearing, the prosecution presented a series of Facebook posts made by Sowders. These posts contained threats directed towards the New Albany police and his ex-girlfriend. In addition, they aired a recorded phone conversation from three months ago between Sowders and his mother, which took place while he was in jail.
Sowders expresses concern about the potential danger he poses if he were to be released. He made a menacing statement, vowing to unleash his wrath.
The prosecution pursued the most severe punishment and came remarkably close to achieving it.
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“I don’t think there’s any kind of closure for the two victims here,” Ric Hertel said. “Maybe a turning of the page of some sort, but we’re happy. Sixty years, five suspended, 55 years in the Department of Corrections is a significant amount of time. These are major crimes, so the punishment fits the crime here.”
Sowders addressed the court on Tuesday, expressing that his behavior on that day was uncharacteristic of him. He expressed his apologies to all parties involved.
Sowders will have the opportunity to appeal the sentence handed down today, and his attorney has already expressed their intention to do so.
