In the quiet evening of March 6, 2018, the life of 20-year-old Nicolas Belcher, a male resident of Evansville, Indiana, was tragically cut short. He was fatally shot while sitting in his car outside an apartment on Mesker Park Drive. A graduate of North High School and the Early College Program at Ivy Tech Community College, Nicolas was remembered by friends and family as a caring and generous young man with a passion for music and video games.
The events that led to his untimely death
unfolded from a place of jealousy. Caleb Singer, then 19, had recently broken up with his girlfriend and suspected she was seeing someone new. That evening, believing his ex-girlfriend was with another man, Singer went to her apartment. There, he found Nicolas Belcher waiting in his vehicle. An altercation ensued, and Singer fired a single, fatal shot, striking Belcher in the head.
Immediately following the shooting, Caleb Singer fled the scene, sparking a multi-state manhunt. He was apprehended by law enforcement in the early hours of the following morning in Bowling Green, Kentucky. After being extradited back to Indiana, Singer faced legal proceedings for his actions. The evidence against him was substantial, including his own admission to the police that he had shot Nicolas.
During his trial, the prosecution painted a clear picture of a premeditated act of violence fueled by anger and jealousy. The defense's attempt to argue that the crime was committed in a moment of 'sudden heat' was ultimately rejected by the jury. After a short deliberation of only 15 minutes, the jury found Caleb Singer guilty of the murder of Nicolas Belcher. Subsequently, he was sentenced to 55 years in prison, bringing a measure of closure to a case that had senselessly stolen the life of a young man.
