Derek Pixley, a man accused of stalking and killing his girlfriend in Indiana, was set to serve fewer than five years in prison until a judge dismissed a plea agreement, setting the high-profile case up for a trial later this year.
Prosecutors have charged Pixley, 34, with murder in the death of 29-year-old Brittney Elizabeth Boman.
According to court records reviewed by Law&Crime, the prosecution and defense agreed on a plea agreement that would have been finalized this week. However, Clark Circuit Court Judge Nicholas Karaffa rejected the deal, finding that the “proposal falls outside the range of what the court finds reasonable.”
Distinct whispers of surprise rippled through the courtroom as the judge announced his decision to deny the plea that would have seen Pixley plead guilty to reckless homicide and go to prison for six years, with credit for time served making it more like three, regional ABC affiliate WHAS reported. Karaffa reached his decision after Boman’s mother, Shawnee Goodman, spoke before the court.
The case unfolded on Oct. 2, 2022, when Pixley reportedly found Boman shot in the woods around Brownstown Road in Henryville, Indiana. She had suffered a gunshot wound to the neck, and paramedics rushed her to a hospital.
Boman survived for more than two months until she died on Dec. 30, 2022. During that time, she managed to give investigators details about what she remembered.
The victim told Clark County Sheriff’s Office investigators in the hospital that she went into the woods that fall day to hide from her boyfriend, per the local outlet. She said when she woke up in the woods, she saw Pixley standing over her.
A spokesperson for her family, Shawn Bostock, told area Fox affiliate WDRB that she was “blinded by a light, heard a shot and she hit the ground … 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.”
Authorities said Boman had a protective order against Pixley at the time of the shooting. Officers reportedly arrested him that month for violating the protective order and possessing meth, but they didn’t arrest him again and charge him with murder until May 2025.
“He shot at her twice, that’s what’s getting overlooked,” Goodman told WHAS, referencing the proposed plea agreement. “He stalked her for days before it happened, that’s not gonna come into court. It was not an accident, and there is no part of reckless homicide that sits well with me.”
It remains unclear what led prosecutors to seek the plea agreement.
Pixley’s trial has been set for Nov. 30.
Boman’s obituary states that she “was a country girl at heart, and loved being outdoors as much as possible. She liked to fish and could live off nature if necessary. She was a survivor.”
“Brittney loved her family and siblings fiercely, and was always very loyal,” it adds. “She was every dog’s friend, and had a special place in her heart for blue healers. In her spare time, Brittney was always on the go and full of energy. She was a huge advocate for children’s literacy, and always had a Red Bull in her hand. Brittney will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.”
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