On a cold Monday afternoon in Indianapolis, the life of 20-year-old Brian Ward Jr. was tragically cut short. On January 30, 2023, just before 1 p.m., police were called to the Carlton Apartments in the 2500 block of Plaza Drive, near the intersection of 86th Street and Township Line Road, where they discovered Ward suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite the efforts of medics, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to Jermerrell Hubbard,
then 20, of Indianapolis. A series of events in the days leading up to the fatal shooting brought Hubbard to the attention of law enforcement and raised questions about the criminal justice system. Just four days before the shooting, on January 26, Hubbard had been arrested at the very same apartment complex for unlawfully possessing a handgun as a convicted felon. This arrest came after police investigated a suspicious car that had been left running for over 24 hours.
Despite the seriousness of the charge, Hubbard was released from custody on January 27 after posting a $150 cash bond. The following day, the prosecutor's office attempted to place a seven-day hold on him, but the request was denied because he had already been released. Tragically, just three days after his release, Hubbard was allegedly back at the Carlton Apartments where he shot and killed Brian Ward Jr. The day after the murder, on January 31, police located the vehicle involved and arrested Hubbard for murder and robbery.
In a plea agreement, Jermerrell Hubbard pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder. In exchange for his plea, other charges of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury and an additional murder charge were dismissed. He was subsequently sentenced to 45 years for the murder of Brian Ward Jr. and a concurrent 30-year sentence for attempted murder. As part of his sentence, Hubbard is also required to register as a serious violent felon.
