Current:Home > reviewsMan sentenced to nearly 200 years after Indiana triple homicide led to serial killer rumors -Intelligent Capital Compass
Man sentenced to nearly 200 years after Indiana triple homicide led to serial killer rumors
View
Date:2025-04-26 08:15:45
An Indiana man was sentenced to nearly 200 years in prison in connection to triple homicides when he was 16 years old.
The killings happened in October 2021 in Marion County, where prosecutors announced Friday that defendant Caden Smith was sentenced to 189 years in the deaths of victims Joseph Thomas, Michael James and Abdulla Mubarak.
Smith was previously found guilty of three counts of murder, two counts of felony murder, two counts of robbery, as well as various gun and drug-related charges, reported the Indy Star, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Because the 2021 triple homicides did not happen the same day, community members began to wonder if there was a serial killer on the loose, the Indy Star and television station WKRC reported. Authorities debunked the serial killer rumors once they arrested 16-year-old Smith a few weeks after the murders.
Here’s what to know.
Michael James’ girlfriend said he went to buy a ‘switch’ from someone named Caden
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officers found the bodies of the victims in a field on Oct. 21, 2021, according to documents filed in the Court of Appeals of Indiana. There, officers collected over 50 fired 9 millimeter cartridge casings at the scene, as well as unfired 9 millimeter bullets.
Police said Smith brought the three victims to grassy fields to show them how a Glock switch works.
The victims’ cause of death was deemed to be from multiple gunshot wounds, the document reads.
The girlfriend of James, one of the victims, told investigators she last spoke with her boyfriend on Oct. 11, 2021. James told her he was going to meet someone named Caden to get some switches for a gun, the documents read.
A switch, the documents read, is an illegal device that allows a “conventional semi-automatic Glock pistol to function as a fully automatic firearm."
Investigators also spoke to a juvenile who said they had known two of the victims − James and Mubarak − and knew of someone named Caden. That juvenile gave investigators Caden’s grandmother’s address, as well as a cell phone number for Caden.
Victim’s mother remember him saying he was meeting someone named Caden
Detectives spoke with the mother of victim Joseph Thomas on Oct. 17. 2021 and again nearly a week later, according to court documents. Thomas' mother last saw her son a week earlier at her house, when he told her “I’m going to meet with Caden and take care of something.”
His mother also recalled meeting someone named Caden and his grandmother three years ago. She remembered where the pair lived.
After getting more information from Thomas' mother, investigators viewed surveillance footage from a gas station that showed him speaking to two people inside the store and exchanging numbers with one of them, court documents show.
Investigators also spoke to a juvenile who is friends with Thomas and recalled that the victim spoke to someone named "Caden” and was planning to meet him. The juvenile was shown a photo of Caden Smith and said it was the same Caden from the gas station, court documents show.
What did officers find in Smith’s home?
Investigators looked into Smith more and requested a search warrant on Oct. 26. They searched his home the next day and found two firearms, one with a “switch” attached, ammunition and six cell phones.
He was charged with multiple felonies, including three counts of murder.
Smith’s case had been delayed because a judge ruled that the warrant used to arrest him may have been unconstitutional. The judge ordered that the teenager be released but he was soon arrested again on marijuana possession charges, the Indy Star reported.
He was found guilty in the killings in August.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her at[email protected].
veryGood! (99)
Related
- Federal appeals court upholds $14.25 million fine against Exxon for pollution in Texas
- Russian drone debris downed power lines near a Ukraine nuclear plant. A new winter barrage is likely
- A match made in fandom: Travis, Taylor and the weirdness of celebrity relationships
- Police in Illinois fatally shoot sledgehammer-wielding man after reported domestic assault
- Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
- Paris museum says it will fix skin tone of Dwayne The Rock Johnson's wax figure
- Judge dismisses Birmingham-Southern lawsuit against Alabama state treasurer over loan denial
- Trump isn’t accustomed to restrictions. That’s beginning to test the legal system
- Oklahoma parole board recommends governor spare the life of man on death row
- How Climate Change Drives Conflict and War Crimes Around the Globe
Ranking
- Hidden Home Gems From Kohl's That Will Give Your Space a Stylish Refresh for Less
- Microsoft up, Alphabet down. S&P 500, Nasdaq drop as tech companies report mixed earnings
- The last Beatles song, 'Now and Then,' finally arrives after more than 40 years
- Poland’s president calls for new parliament to hold first session Nov. 13
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- European Union to press the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to set decades of enmity behind them
- McDonald's ditching McFlurry spoon for more sustainable option
- Cameron Diaz Has the Perfect Pitch for Best Dad Ever Benji Madden's Next Album
Recommendation
Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
As online banking grew, mortgage lending regulations didn't follow suit. Until now.
The Masked Singer's Jenny McCarthy Is Totally Unrecognizable in Dumbledore Transformation
NFL trade deadline targets: 23 players who could be on block
Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
Drake & Josh’s Josh Peck Reveals He Almost Played Edward Cullen in Twilight
Dueling Russia and US resolutions on Israel-Hamas war fail to advance in UN
Emerging filmmakers honored with Student Academy Awards at 50th anniversary ceremony