In the winter of 2023, a tragedy unfolded on the east side of Indianapolis that claimed the life of 50-year-old Larry Moorman. On the afternoon of January 12th, police were called to an apartment building in the 200 block of North Walcott Street, near the intersection of East Washington Street and North State Avenue, following a report of a person shot.
Inside the common area of the five-unit building, they discovered a man who had sustained gunshot injuries.
As investigators continued to search the premises, they found a second victim, a younger man identified as 23-year-old Shawn Barnett, inside one of the apartment units, also suffering from fatal gunshot wounds. Both Larry Moorman, a White / Caucasian male, and Shawn Barnett were pronounced dead at the scene. The incident was quickly classified as a double homicide, prompting an intensive investigation into the circumstances that led to the two men's untimely deaths.
The investigation into the double homicide uncovered unusual claims of 'knockout gas' being piped into the apartment before the killings, adding a bizarre element to the case. However, the primary focus of the police work was on identifying and apprehending the person responsible for the shootings. Their efforts led them to a person of interest just a few hours after the discovery of the bodies.
This person of interest, later identified as 42-year-old Jermaine Randle, was located in the vicinity of West 79th Street and North Michigan Road and was subsequently detained by police. Following questioning and an initial investigation, Jermaine Randle was arrested in connection with the deaths of both Larry Moorman and Shawn Barnett. The Marion County Prosecutor's Office filed two counts of murder against Randle, officially charging him with the killings. The case then moved to the judicial system for prosecution.
