Do you know who murdered 21 year old Destiny Pittman in 2013? In the quiet city of Kokomo, Indiana, the life of 21-year-old Destiny Renee Pittman was tragically cut short on the evening of February 7, 2013. That night, police responded to a call of a shooting at her home on James Drive and found her with a fatal gunshot wound. Destiny, a female, was pronounced dead at the scene. She had been born in Kokomo on January 9, 1992.
For nearly a decade, Destiny's case remained cold, a source of ongoing pain for her family and the community.
Investigators had determined that two armed intruders had forced their way into the home she shared with her boyfriend, their two children, and a female roommate. When Destiny confronted the intruders, she was shot in the chest. The suspects then reportedly searched the home for drugs and money before fleeing. Despite numerous leads over the years, no arrests were made, and the case remained an open investigation.
A significant breakthrough came in December 2022, when a woman came forward with crucial information that had weighed on her for years. She implicated two brothers, Jesse and Joey McCartney, in the crime. According to her statement to the police, she had been with Jesse McCartney on the night of the murder, believing they were going to conduct a drug deal. She alleged that both brothers went inside the house, she heard a loud bang, and then they ran out, with Jesse carrying a bag of marijuana and a handful of cash.
This new testimony led to the arrests of Jesse McCartney, 36, and Joey McCartney, 32, in March 2023. Jesse was apprehended in Kokomo, while Joey was taken into custody in Graham, Kentucky. Both brothers were charged with murder, robbery resulting in bodily injury, burglary resulting in bodily injury, and conspiracy to commit burglary.
In August 2023, Jesse McCartney stood trial for the murder of Destiny Pittman. However, after a trial that included testimony from a former detective who stated the brothers were not considered suspects during her time on the case, the jury deliberated for less than 90 minutes before acquitting Jesse of all charges. Following his acquittal, the charges against his brother, Joey McCartney, were also dismissed in November 2023. The search for justice in the death of Destiny Pittman continues.
