In the winter of 2020, on February 5th, the life of 21-year-old Braxton Ford was tragically cut short in a quadruple homicide on the east side of Indianapolis. Ford, along with three other young people, Kimari Hunt, 21, Jalen Roberts, 19, and Marcel Wills, 20, were found shot to death inside an apartment in what authorities believe was a targeted robbery.
The scene discovered by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers was one of violence and disarray, with the apartment appearing to have been ransacked. Autopsy reports would later confirm that all four victims had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
The investigation into the brutal slayings led authorities to four suspects: Cameron Banks, 19, his 17-year-old brother Desmond Banks, Lasean Watkins, 19, and Rodreice Anderson, 19. Surveillance footage from the apartment complex played a crucial role in identifying the suspects, showing three individuals entering the residence and later fleeing in a car allegedly driven by Anderson. A witness at the scene was able to identify three of the suspects to police. The motive for the killings appeared to be robbery, with items reportedly stolen from the apartment.
Within weeks of the murders, all four suspects were apprehended and faced a litany of serious charges. Cameron Banks, Desmond Banks, and Lasean Watkins were charged with four counts of murder, four counts of felony murder, and four counts of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury. Rodreice Anderson faced charges of four counts of felony murder and four counts of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury. The gravity of the crime led to the decision to charge the 17-year-old, Desmond Banks, as an adult.
The legal process culminated in significant prison sentences for those involved. In a five-day trial in March 2023, Cameron Banks, Desmond Banks, and Lasean Watkins were all convicted on all counts. Cameron and Desmond Banks each received sentences of 220 years in prison. Lasean Watkins was sentenced to 240 years for his role in the quadruple homicide. The alleged getaway driver, Rodreice Anderson, reached a plea agreement in October 2022, pleading guilty to four counts of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury and agreed to testify against his co-defendants.
