In the early morning hours of New Year's Eve 2017, a sense of finality befell a neighborhood in Indianapolis, not with the turning of the calendar, but with the tragic and untimely death of Raven Alexandria Mayes. A 35-year-old Black female, Raven's life was cut short by an act of gun violence in the 5300 block of Acorn Lane. Her death marked one of the last homicides in a year that saw a record number of murders in the city.
Raven was a graduate of Lew Wallace High School in Gary,
Indiana, and had furthered her education at Kaplan University. She was known as a hardworking mother, holding positions as a server and waitress at both Applebee's and JD's Bar to provide for her five children. Her unexpected passing left a void in the lives of her family, which included her parents, two sisters, grandparents, and numerous other relatives and friends who remembered her vibrant spirit.
The investigation into Raven Mayes's death was handled by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. However, despite their efforts, the case grew cold. No suspects were ever publicly identified, and no arrests have been made in connection with her murder. The motive behind the shooting remains unknown, and her case is listed as an unsolved homicide. The community was left with questions and a family was left without answers, grieving the loss of a loved one whose life was violently taken on the cusp of a new year.
