In the fall of 2019, a tragic event unfolded in Gary, Indiana, claiming the life of 27-year-old Yoasha Carter. On the morning of October 25th, emergency services responded to a house fire on West 20th Avenue. Inside the burning home, firefighters discovered the bodies of Yoasha, her 54-year-old aunt, Nefretiri Jones, and her 33-year-old cousin, Dwayne Jones.
Initial beliefs that the three had perished in the fire were quickly dispelled by the coroner's investigation.
Autopsies revealed a more sinister cause of death; all three victims had been shot prior to the fire being set. The absence of soot in their airways indicated they were already deceased when the blaze began. Yoasha and her cousin Dwayne had both been shot in the head, while her aunt Nefretiri sustained a gunshot wound to her upper left shoulder. The severity of the burns necessitated the use of dental records for formal identification.
Suspicion soon fell upon Yoasha's boyfriend, Reginald Carter. Their relationship was described as 'toxic,' with a history of domestic violence that included him allegedly choking Yoasha to the point of unconsciousness on previous occasions. Investigators learned that an argument between the couple had escalated on the day of the fire. Witnesses reported hearing a loud boom and an argument coming from the residence that morning.
Reginald Carter was arrested and subsequently charged with three counts of murder and one count of arson. During the investigation, a 9mm shell casing was discovered in the bedroom. Further evidence against him included the detection of accelerants on his clothing by a K-9 unit. He provided conflicting statements to the police, and a minivan he had borrowed reportedly smelled of bleach. He was held without bail. Following a trial, Reginald Carter was convicted on all four counts and sentenced to 205 years in prison for the murders and arson.
