In the quiet city of Marion, Indiana, a grim discovery was made on December 30, 2018, shattering the holiday season's peace. Inside a home on South Gallatin Street, a relative found the bodies of 12-year-old Javon Blackwell Jr., his 11-year-old brother Jayzon Blackwell, and their 42-year-old father, Javon Blackwell Sr. The young Black male and his family had been fatally shot multiple times.
The two brothers, who lived with their mother in Anderson, were visiting their father for the Christmas holiday when their lives were tragically cut short.
The initial investigation by Marion police was met with few leads, as neighbors reported hearing or seeing nothing unusual. At the scene, investigators discovered what they believed to be narcotics, adding a complex layer to the triple homicide. The community was left reeling from the violent act, particularly the loss of the two young boys, who were remembered by neighbors as playful and good kids who often rode their bikes up and down the street. Their school, the Anderson Preparatory Academy, expressed profound sorrow over the loss of its students.
A significant breakthrough in the case came nearly a month later following a traffic stop. The man stopped by police, 29-year-old Lemere Joseph Jones, began to share information that led investigators to make arrests in the Blackwell family murders. Subsequently, Jones, 25-year-old Demetrius J. Jackson, and 29-year-old Brittany D. Drake were taken into custody. Both Jones and Jackson were charged with three counts of murder, armed robbery, and conspiracy to commit armed robbery. Jackson faced an additional charge of possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. Drake was charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery. Investigators also linked Jones and Jackson to another murder that had occurred in November 2018 and an armed robbery of a Family Dollar store just before Christmas.
The legal proceedings brought some measure of justice for the grieving family. Demetrius J. Jackson was found guilty of felony murder and armed robbery charges. During the trial, his co-defendant, Lemere Jones, testified that the children 'weren't supposed to be there.' Jones was ultimately sentenced to 195 years in prison for his role in the brutal killings. The trial for the third suspect, Brittany Drake, was scheduled to take place at a later date.
