Brittney Elizabeth Boman spent nearly three months fighting for her life after she was shot in the neck while hiding in the woods near Henryville, Indiana. The 29-year-old survived long enough to give investigators a chilling account of what happened before she died on December 30, 2022 — and how she allegedly recognized her shooter when she regained consciousness.
Background
The case dates back to October 2, 2022, when authorities responded to reports of a shooting along Brownstown Road in the rural Indiana community. Boman had been shot in the neck and was rushed to a hospital, where she remained for weeks while investigators worked to piece together the circumstances surrounding the attack.
According to court records reviewed by Law&Crime, Boman provided Clark County Sheriff's Office investigators with details about that fall day. She told them she had entered the woods specifically to hide from her boyfriend. When she regained consciousness after being shot, she reported seeing Derek Pixley standing over her.
A spokesperson for Boman's family, Shawn Bostock, spoke with WDRB about what she remembered from that day. "She was blinded by a light, heard a shot and she hit the ground," Bostock said. "She said she's seen a bright light in their face, heard a shot and felt a pain and was in and out of consciousness from then on."
The timeline reveals disturbing patterns of behavior prior to the shooting. Boman had obtained a protective order against Pixley at the time of the attack. He was arrested later that same month for violating the protective order and possession of methamphetamine — yet it would take nearly three more years before he faced murder charges.
The Investigation
Pixley, now 34, was finally charged with murder in May 2025, more than two years after Boman's death. The extended gap between the shooting and formal homicide charges remains notable in a case that prosecutors are now preparing for trial.
Court documents indicate that both the prosecution and defense had reached a plea agreement that was set to be finalized recently. Under the proposed deal, Pixley would have pleaded guilty to reckless homicide and received a six-year prison sentence, with credit for time served potentially reducing his actual time behind bars to approximately three years.
However, Clark Circuit Court Judge Nicholas Karaffa rejected the agreement during proceedings, finding that the "proposal falls outside the range of what the court finds reasonable." The decision came after Boman's mother, Shawnee Goodman, addressed the court and expressed opposition to the lenient terms.
Key Takeaways
- Brittney Elizabeth Boman, 29, died December 30, 2022, more than two months after being shot in the neck while hiding in woods near Henryville, Indiana
- She reportedly told investigators she had entered the woods specifically to hide from her boyfriend and saw Derek Pixley standing over her when she regained consciousness
- A protective order was active against Pixley at the time of the shooting; he was arrested that same month for violating it and possessing meth
- Pixley wasn't charged with murder until May 2025 — nearly three years after Boman's death
- A proposed plea agreement calling for six years (with credit for time served making it closer to three) on a reckless homicide charge was rejected by the judge
- Boman's mother told WHAS that authorities indicated "He shot at her twice" and said Pixley had stalked her victim "for days before it happened"
What's Next
Pixley's trial is scheduled to begin November 30 in Clark Circuit Court. The rejection of the plea agreement sets up a full murder trial where prosecutors will need to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt, rather than securing a conviction through a guilty plea to a lesser charge.
The case represents an unusual delay between incident and formal homicide charges, with investigators apparently building their murder case over nearly three years before filing. The victim's ability to provide testimony about her attacker before her death could prove significant in establishing the defendant's alleged intent.