On the night of January 27, 2022, officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department responded to a report of a shooting on the city's west side. The incident took place around 11:30 p.m. in the 200 block of Bertha Court, a residential area near Rockville Road and South Lynhurst Drive. Upon their arrival, first responders located a victim suffering from an apparent gunshot wound outside a home.
The individual, identified as 53-year-old male Charles Ray Cole, was pronounced deceased at the scene by medical personnel.
During the initial investigation, witnesses provided statements to detectives describing a dark-colored vehicle, potentially a Saturn, seen driving away from the vicinity immediately following the gunfire. Police cordoned off the area to collect evidence and interview potential observers. The inquiry quickly focused on identifying the individual responsible for the fatal act.
Law enforcement officials subsequently identified and apprehended 57-year-old Leon Brewer as the primary suspect in the case. Following his arrest, the Marion County Prosecutor's Office formally charged Brewer on February 2, 2022. The charges filed against him included murder and a misdemeanor offense for carrying a handgun without a license. The case proceeded through the local justice system following the formal accusation.
