Dalton Collins, a 19-year-old White male from Tennyson, Indiana, was a young man whose life was cut short by gunfire. His family chose to donate his organs, and an Honor Walk was held for him at the hospital.
On the night of Saturday, March 22, 2025, Collins and his friend, Zachary Kiper, drove to the Parkside Apartments in the 2800 block of S. Lodge Avenue in Evansville for what they believed was a prearranged marijuana deal. The meeting, however, was a setup for a robbery.
Two masked teenagers, Isam Clark and Derrick Brifil, both 16, approached their vehicle. According to police, Clark was armed with a handgun equipped with a green laser.
When Clark allegedly pointed the weapon at the car, gunfire erupted. Investigators believe Clark fired first, striking both Collins and Kiper. Kiper, who was also wounded, managed to return fire, hitting Brifil. Collins sustained life-threatening injuries and was rushed to Ascension St. Vincent Hospital. He was kept on life support to facilitate organ donation before he succumbed to his wounds. Kiper survived his injuries, and Brifil was found after he knocked on a nearby resident's door seeking help for a gunshot wound to his abdomen.
The Evansville Police Department investigation led to the arrests of Isam Clark and Derrick Brifil. Both were charged as adults with murder and robbery. Brifil faced an additional charge for child in possession of a firearm.
Isam Clark’s trial began in October 2025. The prosecution’s case included testimony from several key witnesses. Zachary Kiper recounted the events from inside the car. Ethan Baughn, an acquaintance of the accused, testified that he had orchestrated the drug deal from Indianapolis and that it was intended to be a robbery from the start. Clark’s co-defendant, Derrick Brifil, also took the stand, stating that after a signal for the robbery failed, he heard a pop and saw Clark shooting into the vehicle.
In November 2025, a jury found Isam Clark guilty of murder and robbery resulting in serious bodily injury. On December 4, 2025, a judge sentenced him to 56 years in prison for the murder charge, to be served at the same time as a 20-year sentence for robbery. The legal case against Derrick Brifil was still pending as of December 2025.
