In the autumn of 2023, the life of 19-year-old Austin Michael Seiman, a White male from Fort Wayne, Indiana, was tragically cut short in a series of events that began with a prearranged meeting and ended in his murder. His body was discovered by a kayaker in the Maumee River on September 28, 2023. An autopsy would later reveal that the young man had died from multiple gunshot wounds, and his death was officially ruled a homicide.
The investigation into Seiman's death quickly led
authorities to two suspects: 18-year-old Nasir Owens and 20-year-old Dimitrius Walker. The trail to Owens and Walker began to unfold when Seiman's girlfriend, concerned when he didn't return home, checked his Facebook messages. She found a conversation between Seiman, who used an alias for selling drugs, and Owens, arranging a meeting in an alley near Seiman's residence. This digital breadcrumb proved to be a critical piece of evidence for investigators.
Further investigation painted a grim picture of Seiman's final hours. He had arranged to sell drugs to Owens, who, along with his friend Dimitrius Walker, had other intentions. An eyewitness reported seeing a struggle between two individuals and a white person in an alley on the night of Seiman's disappearance. Following the altercation, Seiman's body was placed in a car. Later that night, police and fire departments responded to a vehicle fire, and the car was identified as the one used by the suspects.
Within a week of the discovery of Seiman's body, both Nasir Owens and Dimitrius Walker were arrested and faced preliminary charges of murder and arson. The subsequent legal proceedings brought the full scope of their actions to light. A jury found Nasir Owens guilty of murder, arson, and a firearm enhancement. He was charged under the theory of accomplice liability, indicating his role in the crimes.
Dimitrius Walker also faced a jury for his involvement in the murder. He was convicted of murder, attempted robbery, and arson. Court documents revealed that after the initial struggle, Walker and Owens left the scene, only to return later to take Seiman's body to the river and dump it. They then proceeded to burn the vehicle used in the commission of the crime. For his role in the brutal slaying and subsequent cover-up, Dimitrius Walker was sentenced to an aggregate term of seventy-six years in the Department of Correction.
