A Murray man was arraigned in Calloway District Court Tuesday following a shooting Monday on Sunset Drive that left his estranged wife hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the chest.
Russell Cleaver, 45, of Murray, was arrested Monday evening and charged with attempted murder, a Class B felony, punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison. He is being held in the Calloway County Detention Center on a $250,000 cash bond in that case; however, due to other active criminal cases, he cannot be released until revocation hearings are held in those cases.
Cleaver appeared for arraignment Tuesday via Zoom from the Calloway County Detention Center. Calloway District Judge Randall Hutchens asked Cleaver whether he planned to hire an attorney. Cleaver said he anticipated having to hire one, referencing his recent cases in Calloway District Court.
Hutchens set a preliminary hearing in the case at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26.
“My recollection is you were here and pled or maybe you were set to plea,” Hutchens said as he began looking through the file.
Assistant County Attorney Casey Naber told Hutchens that Cleaver had already pleaded guilty and been sentenced in a felony DUI case and a separate misdemeanor case. He said he planned to seek revocation of the conditional discharges in both cases because of the new charge.
Hutchens issued bench warrants in both cases and ordered Cleaver to be held without bond pending revocation hearings at 9 a.m. Aug. 26.
Hutchens also asked Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney James Burkeen for an update on Cleaver’s pending Calloway Circuit Court case. Burkeen said Cleaver had been arraigned Aug. 10.
Hutchens then noted that one of Cleaver’s bond conditions prohibited contact or communication with the alleged victim.
“Are you going to do anything about that?” Hutchens asked.
“This all happened yesterday, but I am planning on filing a motion, yes,” Burkeen said.
Before the hearing concluded, Cleaver asked the judge if he would reconsider the bond amount.
“No,” Hutchens said. “You’re lucky it’s that low, Russell. See you next week.”
According to the uniform citation, Murray Police Department officers made contact with Cleaver in the front yard of the Sunset Drive residence and took him into custody without incident. Inside the residence, they found the victim sitting on the floor with an apparent gunshot wound to her chest.
She allegedly told officers that her husband shot her after she entered the residence to collect some of her belongings.
Court records show that the victim filed for divorce in September 2025. According to the petition for dissolution of marriage, she moved out of the marital home on Sunset Drive prior to the filing.
Murray-Calloway County Emergency Medical Services transported her from the scene to Murray-Calloway County Hospital. On the way to the hospital, she also told medics that she had been shot by her husband, according to the citation.
When officers arrived at MCCH to interview the victim, she was unconscious. She was later airlifted to another hospital.
At the police station, officers attempted to interview Cleaver. When asked whether he knew why police wanted to speak with him, Cleaver allegedly said he “did something very bad.” The citation notes that he was advised of his Miranda rights again at that time, and Cleaver declined to speak further.
Two weeks before filing for divorce, the victim sought an emergency protective order against Cleaver. Court records show that she filed the petition Sept. 5, 2025, and an EPO was entered the same day.
The domestic violence case was dismissed Oct. 2 by agreement of the parties. The district court docket notes that an agreed order was entered in the divorce case and that the victim agreed to dismiss the domestic violence case.
Cleaver was arrested April 28 on a felony DUI charge. According to the criminal complaint in his pending circuit court case, that arrest later became the source of another confrontation between Cleaver and the victim.
Murray police responded to the Sunset Drive residence May 26 for a possible ongoing domestic violence situation. The victim told officers Cleaver had been threatening her because he believed she had reported him to police for the April DUI arrest. She told officers that she had, in fact, called law enforcement.
Police said the victim provided two cellphone videos in which Cleaver threatened to kill her if she was the person who had called police. The complaint also alleges that Cleaver threatened to shoot her and drown her in the Murray State University Arboretum pond, which is on property adjacent to the Sunset Drive residence.
The victim told officers she feared death or serious physical injury, and Cleaver was charged with third-degree terroristic threatening, menacing and retaliating against a participant in the legal process. That case is pending in Calloway Circuit Court.
The felony DUI case was one of the two district court cases Naber asked Hutchens to revisit during Tuesday’s arraignment. Cleaver pleaded guilty in that case July 14. He also pleaded guilty that day in a separate misdemeanor case. His sentences in both cases were conditionally discharged for two years.
On Wednesday, Burkeen filed a motion to revoke Cleaver’s bond in the pending circuit court case on grounds that the conduct underlying the new attempted murder charge violated a bond condition prohibiting contact with the victim. Calloway Circuit Judge Andrea Moore issued a bench warrant for Cleaver with no bond. A bond revocation hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8.
In a Facebook post Tuesday afternoon, Monty McCuiston, owner of Max’s 641 Towing & Service and a member of the Murray City Council, described himself as part of the victim’s family and said he had established an account on supportnow.org to help the victim’s family with meals, travel, lodging and medical expenses, noting that “she will have a long road ahead of her.”
McCuiston said those who would prefer to make contributions in person or provide gift cards may drop them off at Max’s 641 Towing & Service, 516 S. 12th St. He said those contributions would be passed along to the victim’s children or mother.
As of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, the campaign had raised $4,808.95 toward its $10,000 goal.
“Please consider supporting Brittany Overby Cleaver and her family as they navigate through the uncharted waters from this horrific incident,” the campaign description reads. “Your support can make a difference in their lives during this challenging time.”
In a press release Tuesday, MPD said the investigation remains ongoing.
Individuals charged with crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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