On a spring afternoon in Indianapolis, Indiana, a domestic situation escalated into a tragedy that claimed three lives. Forty-seven-year-old Vanel Stamps was helping his daughter, 22-year-old Summer Stamps, move out of the apartment she shared with her boyfriend on April 15, 2022. The apartment was located at the Oaks of Eagle Creek complex on the city's northwest side.
It was there that the events of the day took a dark and violent turn.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were dispatched to the residence around 1:37 p.m. after receiving a call. Upon their arrival, they discovered the bodies of Vanel, his daughter Summer, and her 26-year-old boyfriend, Kris Martin. All three had sustained gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses later reported hearing several gunshots and seeing a man and woman running from the building to seek help.
The subsequent investigation by the Marion County Coroner's Office brought clarity to the sequence of events inside the apartment. The deaths of both Vanel and Summer Stamps were officially ruled as homicides. The death of Kris Martin was ruled a suicide. Investigators concluded that the incident was a double murder-suicide, with Martin being the perpetrator.
Authorities believe the tragic event was rooted in domestic violence, occurring as Summer Stamps was attempting to end her relationship with Martin and leave the apartment they shared. As Kris Martin died at the scene, no arrests were made in connection with the murders of Vanel and Summer Stamps. The incident highlighted the devastating consequences of domestic disputes and left a community to mourn the loss of a father and daughter who died together.
