In the early hours of February 9, 2021, a man in Indianapolis returned to his home on Westbrook Avenue to a devastating discovery. His roommate, 27-year-old LaDon D. Perry, a Black male, was found shot to death inside their residence. Medics arrived at the scene, near Interstate 70 and Sam Jones Expressway, around 1 a.m. and pronounced him dead. For more than three years, the investigation into Perry's killing remained without a public breakthrough, leaving his family and friends grappling with
unanswered questions and a sense of unresolved justice.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department detectives continued their work on the cold case. Their persistence eventually led to a significant development in October 2024. A grand jury was presented with evidence that resulted in the indictment of Davante Howard for the murder and robbery of LaDon Perry. The indictment suggested that the motive behind the fatal shooting was the robbery of a rifle. Due to the confidential nature of grand jury proceedings, many specifics of the evidence that led to Howard's arrest remain concealed from the public.
It was revealed that Davante Howard was already in federal custody prior to the murder charge. In 2022, he had pleaded guilty to federal firearms charges and had been incarcerated in federal prison for two years. He was transferred back to Marion County to face the new charges related to Perry's death. Following the indictment, Howard was arrested and is being held without bond, awaiting his initial court hearing. The case is now set to proceed to trial, where the evidence and witness testimonies presented to the grand jury will be publicly scrutinized in a court of law.
