On February 9, 2021, the life of Michelle Leeann Goodman Spaulding, a 30-year-old Black female, was brought to a tragic and sudden end in Indianapolis, Indiana. In the quiet, pre-dawn hours of that Tuesday, officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department received a distress call reporting a person shot on the city's east side. The call, which came in shortly before 5:00 a.m., directed first responders to a business located in the 3800 block of East 38th Street, near the
intersection with North Sherman Drive.
Upon arriving at the scene, which was identified as a laundromat situated next to a gas station, police discovered the victim inside the establishment. She had sustained multiple gunshot wounds in what appeared to be an act of targeted violence. Despite the immediate response of emergency medical personnel, the injuries proved fatal, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. The area was quickly cordoned off as homicide detectives and forensic units began their examination of the site, searching for clues that might explain the senseless killing.
In the wake of the shooting, investigators struggled to identify a motive or any potential suspects. Early reports indicated that there was no immediate information regarding who might have been responsible for the crime, and no arrests were made in the immediate aftermath. The case left the community and the victim’s family searching for answers. Her sister, Myriah McCrea, later reached out to the public for assistance with funeral arrangements, noting that Michelle did not have a permanent address at the time of her death, which complicated the family's ability to lay her to rest.
Years later, the investigation into the death of Michelle Leeann Goodman Spaulding remains open, with no significant updates regarding arrests or the identification of a suspect. The case is classified as unsolved, and authorities have continued to urge anyone with information to come forward. The lack of closure has left a void for her loved ones, who remember her as a sweet soul taken too soon by the gun violence that has plagued parts of the city.
