In the early hours of December 28, 2022, a family argument in an Indianapolis apartment complex ended in the tragic death of 31-year-old Joshua Terrel Hopson, a Black/African American male. The events of that night began with Joshua and his cousin, 38-year-old Emmanuel Newman, drinking together at Joshua's apartment. An argument broke out between the two men, prompting Joshua's girlfriend to drive Newman away around 2 a.m.
in an attempt to de-escalate the conflict.
The separation, however, did not quell the rising tensions. The argument continued over the phone, culminating in Newman threatening to return to the apartment to kill his cousin. Shortly after 2:30 a.m., surveillance cameras at the complex in the 3400 block of Alsuda Court captured Newman's dark-colored Cadillac arriving. The footage showed Newman walking through the parking lot carrying a rifle. When Joshua stepped outside his apartment, Newman approached him and opened fire. The video evidence was stark, showing Newman shooting his cousin multiple times and then stepping over his body to fire additional shots before fleeing the scene. When police officers responded to a call about a person shot around 3 a.m., they found Joshua with gunshot wounds to his chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation quickly pointed toward Emmanuel Newman as the primary suspect. Detectives located his purple Cadillac parked at his residence in Beech Grove. A search of his home uncovered a rifle and ammunition that matched the cartridge casings found near Joshua's body. A week after the fatal shooting, on January 5, 2023, IMPD detectives arrested Newman in connection with the homicide.
Emmanuel Newman was charged with murder. After a three-day jury trial in August 2024, he was found guilty of killing his cousin. On September 25, 2024, a judge sentenced Newman to 60 years in prison for the murder of Joshua Hopson. The court also recommended that he receive counseling and mental health treatment during his incarceration.
