In the final hours of 2020, a year already marked by widespread turmoil, the city of Indianapolis was on the brink of recording another grim statistic. On the near northeast side of the city, Steven Fields, a 38-year-old man, became a victim of gun violence in the early morning of New Year's Eve. The incident unfolded in the 2200 block of East 39th Street, a residential area that was soon to be cordoned off by police tape as homicide detectives began their investigation into the city's 244th
killing of the year.
Officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department were dispatched to the scene where they discovered Fields suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite the immediate response, his injuries proved to be fatal, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Remembered by loved ones as a goofy man who loved to laugh and have fun, Fields's sudden and violent death sent shockwaves through his family and community. His obituary painted a picture of a loving father and husband who worked as a forklift driver.
In the days and weeks that followed, the investigation into Steven Fields's death continued, but progress in identifying a suspect or suspects proved to be elusive. The case was added to a growing list of unsolved homicides in a year that saw a significant spike in violent crime in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Star's database of criminal homicides for 2020 lists the status of his case as unsolved.
As time passed, other homicide cases from that year saw breakthroughs with arrests and charges being filed against alleged perpetrators. However, no such announcements were made in connection with the murder of Steven Fields. To date, the case remains open, and no arrests have been made, leaving his family with unanswered questions and a community still searching for justice. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities continue to appeal to the public for any information that might lead to the apprehension and conviction of the person or people responsible for his death.
