In the early morning hours of December 23, 2017, the life of 32-year-old Deandre A. Voss was tragically cut short in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Residents in the 1400 block of Greene Street, near the Villages of Hanna apartments, were startled by the sound of a gunshot. Upon investigating, they discovered Voss bleeding near one of the buildings. Emergency services were called, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Allen County Coroner's office would later confirm that Voss died from gunshot wounds, ruling his death a homicide. This violent act marked the 41st homicide in Allen County for that year.
The investigation into Voss's murder led police to review surveillance footage from the apartment complex. The video captured a suspect pulling out a handgun and shooting Voss in the head. Following the shooting, the suspect was seen getting into a van and discarding a cigarette butt on the ground before driving away. This seemingly insignificant piece of trash would become a crucial piece of evidence for investigators.
Through their investigation, the Fort Wayne Police Department was able to link the van seen in the surveillance video to a man named Bryan Flowers, who was 34 at the time. However, placing him at the scene of the crime required more definitive proof. That proof came from the cigarette butt recovered from the scene. DNA evidence from the cigarette was a match for Bryan Flowers, directly linking him to the murder of Deandre Voss.
In April 2018, Bryan Flowers was arrested and charged with murder and using a firearm in the commission of an offense. His trial began in December of that year. During the trial, a witness who was also present at the scene and visible in the surveillance footage testified that Flowers was the one who shot Voss. The defense, however, claimed that another individual was the shooter. After a three-day trial, the jury found Bryan Flowers guilty of killing Deandre Voss. In January 2019, he was sentenced to 85 years in prison: 65 years for the murder and an additional 20-year enhancement for the use of a firearm. Despite the conviction, Flowers maintained his innocence, stating in court that while he may be guilty of possessing a firearm, he did not kill Deandre Voss. He was also ordered to pay for Voss's funeral expenses.
