In the afternoon hours of March 13, 2023, a dispute in South Bend, Indiana, turned fatal, claiming the life of 54-year-old Daniel Henderson. The male victim was at an apartment complex on Belleville Circle, where he had been staying with his girlfriend. After being asked to leave the residence with his personal items, a confrontation ensued outside.
Two individuals, 21-year-old Jesstin Lottie and 21-year-old Courtney O'Neal, both from South Bend, approached Henderson as he was situated
with his belongings. An argument erupted when Lottie allegedly attempted to take a box of shoes from Henderson's possessions. The verbal altercation quickly escalated into a physical fight involving both Lottie and O'Neal. During the struggle, a loud noise, believed to be a gunshot, was heard by a witness. Following the sound, Lottie and O'Neal fled the scene, leaving Henderson lying on the ground.
Police and medics arrived to find Henderson with blood on his stomach. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy later confirmed that he had died from multiple gunshot wounds. A crucial piece of evidence in the investigation was a voicemail Henderson had apparently left during the incident. In the recording, he could be heard telling someone to leave his belongings alone and to put a gun down. Another man's voice is then heard threatening that Henderson is going to get shot, while a woman's voice, believed to be O'Neal's, was heard encouraging the fight.
Following an investigation, both Jesstin Lottie and Courtney O'Neal were charged in connection with Henderson's death. Lottie faced charges of murder and a firearm enhancement, while O'Neal was charged with one count of murder and one count of assisting a criminal. O'Neal was arrested in March, and Lottie was taken into custody in May 2023. In May 2024, after a four-day trial, a jury found Jesstin Lottie guilty of reckless homicide. He also acknowledged a felony firearm enhancement.
