In the early morning hours of September 1, 2022, the life of 25-year-old Dajour Drones was tragically cut short in a violent home invasion in New Albany, Indiana. Drones was found shot to death outside his residence on Beechwood Avenue. The assailants, a group of masked individuals, stormed his home in what authorities have described as a targeted attack.
The investigation into the murder of Dajour Drones, a loving father to his young daughter, led to the identification of five suspects.
These individuals were Zakarion Peters and a juvenile, both from New Albany, along with Cortlen Berry, Hannah Cushing, and Demetrius Roberts from Louisville. Within weeks of the crime, four of the five suspects were apprehended. All five faced charges of murder, burglary, and robbery.
According to court documents, the group forcibly entered Drones' home with the intent to rob him of money and marijuana. A witness reported hearing Drones being beaten and the suspects demanding to know the location of his valuables, followed by the sound of gunshots. The suspects then fled the scene. Authorities stated that jars of change, marijuana, and cash were stolen from the home.
The legal process saw several of the accused enter plea agreements. Cortlen Berry pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 26 years in prison. Hannah Cushing also accepted a plea deal, resulting in a 20-year sentence. Zakarion Peters, identified as the shooter in the probable cause affidavit, pleaded guilty to felony robbery and a firearms charge and was sentenced to 25 years in prison followed by five years of probation. Another suspect, a juvenile at the time of the offense, was also set to accept a plea deal. The community was left to grapple with the senseless violence that took the life of a young father, leaving his daughter to grow up without him.
