On an autumn evening in Indianapolis, 22-year-old Daniel S. Baxter’s life was abruptly cut short. On October 8, 2020, while stopped at a traffic light at the intersection of East 30th Street and North Keystone Avenue, he was fatally shot. An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department lieutenant discovered Baxter's vehicle after it crashed nearby; Baxter was inside, unresponsive with gunshot wounds.
Investigators pieced together the events leading to the shooting using security footage
and witness statements. Video from Baxter's apartment complex showed a black Dodge Charger following his vehicle just moments before he was killed. At the intersection, a man exited the passenger side of the Charger, walked up to Baxter's car, and fired five shots before fleeing the scene. Witnesses provided a description of the suspect's vehicle, which helped police to track it down.
The investigation led to the identification of Keith Cole as the primary suspect. The owner of the Dodge Charger, Curtis Carson, informed his parole officer about the murder, stating that he was driving the car and that Cole was the shooter. Carson also told authorities that they, along with his brother, attempted to conceal evidence after the shooting, including Cole disposing of the distinctive pants he was wearing. Police later recovered these pants.
A search of Cole's residence approximately a week and a half after the murder uncovered the murder weapon, a. 357 Magnum revolver, in an outside trash can. The firearm was wrapped in plastic bags that had Cole's fingerprint on them, and his DNA was found on the gun itself. Ballistic analysis confirmed that bullets from the crime scene and from Baxter's autopsy matched the recovered handgun.
Keith Cole was arrested and charged with murder. Following a three-day jury trial, he was convicted of killing Daniel Baxter. In April 2024, Cole was sentenced to 63 years in prison for his role in the shooting. The conviction was later affirmed on appeal in February 2025.
