In the fall of 2002, a tragic series of events unfolded in Gary, Indiana, culminating in the death of 50-year-old Delores Buchanan, an African American woman. On the evening of October 12th, what began as a gathering of friends and family in her home took a violent and unexpected turn. Her son, Herman Buchanan, had invited his friends, Simeon Bradley and Larry Peaches Jr., to their residence.
The gathering was soon joined by Herman's cousin, Ronnie Drane.
Unbeknownst to the others, Drane was a fugitive at the time, wanted on federal drug conspiracy charges. After a brief and seemingly normal conversation with the group, Drane excused himself to use the restroom. Moments later, he emerged armed with a handgun and opened fire on those in the room. Herman Buchanan was struck in the jaw, and Larry Peaches Jr. was fatally wounded.
In the ensuing chaos, Bradley and the injured Herman managed to escape the house, leaving Delores Buchanan inside with Drane. More gunshots were heard coming from within the home. When law enforcement arrived at the scene, they discovered Delores Buchanan deceased in a bedroom closet. She had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Following the deadly shooting, Ronnie Drane fled the state of Indiana. In an attempt to silence the key witness to his crimes, Drane orchestrated an attempted murder of his cousin, Herman Buchanan, in Kentucky in March of 2003. This attempt was unsuccessful. However, later that same month, Drane ambushed and killed Herman in Frankfort, Kentucky.
After a lengthy manhunt, federal marshals apprehended Ronnie Drane in Tennessee in March 2004. He was subsequently charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of Delores Buchanan and Larry Peaches Jr., as well as attempted murder and aggravated battery for the initial shooting of his cousin. In August of 2007, a jury found Drane guilty on all charges except for the aggravated battery count.
