On a summer morning in Indianapolis, the life of 52-year-old Anthony Christopher Drummer, a male, came to a tragic and abrupt end. On July 20, 2023, within the urban green space of the American Legion Mall, an encounter turned deadly, leaving Drummer with a fatal gunshot wound to the head.
The man responsible for the shooting, Howard Moffitt, did not flee the scene. Instead, he approached a witness who had been sleeping in the park and confessed to what he had just done.
Moffitt’s stated reasons for the killing were varied and troubling; he claimed he shot Drummer for 'throwing rocks at people' and because he had witnessed Drummer engaged in a sexual act with another man. He also mentioned that Drummer was 'fixing to rob someone' and wouldn't remove rocks from his pocket when asked.
When officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department arrived at the 700 block of North Meridian Street, they found Drummer deceased. Moffitt was still present and immediately admitted to the police that he was the shooter, informing them that the weapon he used was in his backpack. Video surveillance from the area corroborated Moffitt’s presence at the scene shortly after the shooting occurred. Forensic analysis later confirmed that the gun found in Moffitt's possession was indeed the weapon used to kill Anthony Drummer.
Howard Moffitt was subsequently arrested and charged with murder. During a jury trial held in June of the following year, he was found guilty. The court handed down a significant sentence of 60 years in the Indiana Department of Correction. This sentence included 52 years for the murder conviction, with an additional eight years added due to a habitual offender enhancement. An appeal was later filed, where Moffitt’s counsel argued that the evidence was insufficient to disprove his claim of self-defense. However, the appellate court upheld the conviction, noting that the evidence suggested Moffitt was the initial aggressor when he approached Drummer with his gun drawn. The court also highlighted that the jury was within its rights to reject the self-defense claim, believing instead that Moffitt’s motive stemmed from being upset after witnessing the sexual act in the park.
