On the morning of October 1, 2020, emergency responders were called to a residence on the southwest side of Indianapolis, Indiana, following reports of a shooting. Just before 6:45 a.m., officers from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department arrived at the scene to find a woman in critical condition lying in the backyard of the property. The victim was identified as 51-year-old Thelma Ellen Gerholdt, a White / Caucasian female.
Paramedics quickly attended to Gerholdt, transporting
her to Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital for urgent medical treatment. Despite the efforts of trauma teams to save her life, she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital. The Marion County Coroner’s Office later determined the cause of death to be a gunshot wound, ruling the case a homicide.
Detectives launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting, examining the scene and searching for witnesses. Despite the initial response and ongoing inquiries by law enforcement, no suspects were publicly named, and no arrests were immediately made in connection with the crime. The case remained open as investigators sought leads to determine who was responsible for the violence that occurred that morning.
Gerholdt was a native of Chicago, Illinois, and had lived in Indianapolis with her family. She was survived by her husband, Willis Gerholdt III, as well as her children, stepchildren, and numerous grandchildren. As time passed, the lack of answers in the case left her grieving family and the local community waiting for justice, with police urging anyone with information about the incident to come forward.
