On a tragic evening in Indianapolis, the lives of a young couple, Jessica Rae Downey, 21, and her boyfriend, Evans Johnson, 20, were cut short in what police have described as a related double homicide. The events unfolded on November 23, 2016, leaving a small child without parents and a community searching for answers. The couple had recently moved from Vincennes to Indianapolis to build a new life together.
That afternoon, police were first called to the 2300 block of Adams Street for
what initially appeared to be a car accident. Upon arrival, they discovered Jessica Downey inside a vehicle, having sustained a gunshot wound. She was rushed to a nearby hospital but succumbed to her injuries.
Approximately two hours later, a second grim discovery was made a few blocks away. In an alley in the 2400 block of Oxford Street, officers found Evans Johnson, who had also been shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators quickly connected the two shootings, determining that Downey and Johnson were in a relationship.
In the course of their investigation, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department released a surveillance video showing two unidentified individuals walking with Evans Johnson shortly before he was killed. These individuals were labeled as persons of interest, and authorities appealed to the public for help in identifying them. A plea was made for any information regarding the circumstances leading up to the two fatal shootings.
Despite the release of the video and public appeals for information, the case remains unsolved. No arrests have been made in the homicides of Jessica Rae Downey and Evans Johnson. Authorities have urged anyone with knowledge of the incidents to come forward as the investigation into the young couple's deaths continues. The motive behind the killings has not been publicly released.
