In the early morning hours of September 14, 2021, a dispute in Evansville, Indiana, ended in the tragic death of 29-year-old Douglas “Todd” Fulkerson. A white male, Fulkerson was fatally shot around 2:30 a.m. in the 1200 block of Marshall Avenue. When police arrived at the scene, they found Fulkerson with a gunshot wound, and he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into the shooting quickly identified Richard D. Garrett, 27 at the time, as the individual who fired the fatal shot.
Garrett admitted to shooting Fulkerson but claimed it was an act of self-defense. He told authorities that during an argument and altercation, Fulkerson had pointed a gun at people inside Garrett's home.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, no charges were filed against Richard Garrett for Fulkerson's death. However, the investigation led to a search of Garrett's residence, where police discovered methamphetamine and other drugs. This resulted in the arrest of both Richard Garrett and his husband, Patrick M. Garrett, on felony drug possession charges. Richard Garrett was later released after posting a $5,000 cash bond for the drug charges.
Although the shooting of Douglas Fulkerson was deemed to be in self-defense, Richard Garrett's legal troubles did not end there. In an unrelated case in October 2023, Garrett was arrested and charged with two counts of murder and robbery in connection with a double homicide on Evansville's West Side. In that case, he was allegedly the driver for the two individuals who carried out the killings.
