On December 4, 2007, authorities in Indianapolis, Indiana, were alerted to a grim discovery near the Central Canal. The body of 46-year-old Alexander Reaves, a Black male, was found in a condition that immediately suggested foul play. Reports from the scene indicated that the victim had been bound and burned, a brutal method that complicated the initial identification and evidence collection processes.
The discovery was made in the vicinity of West 34th Street, an area where the canal runs through the city, turning a quiet stretch of the waterway into a crime scene investigated by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
Detectives launched a homicide investigation, combing the area for clues and appealing to the public for information regarding Reaves’s movements in the days leading up to his death. The specific circumstances—the binding and burning—pointed to a targeted and violent attack rather than a random act, yet investigators struggled to find witnesses or surveillance footage that could identify a perpetrator. Despite the horrific nature of the crime, the trail of evidence provided few leads, and the motive behind the killing remained unclear to law enforcement officials working the case.
Years have passed since the investigation began, and the case has eventually been classified as a cold case. To date, there have been no arrests made in connection with the death of Alexander Reaves. No suspects have been publicly named or charged, and consequently, there have been no trials or convictions related to the murder. The case remains open but unsolved, with police continuing to request that anyone with knowledge of the incident come forward to assist in bringing closure to the investigation.
