In the summer of 2017, a quiet neighborhood in Indianapolis was shaken by the discovery of a brutal crime that claimed the life of 34-year-old Keith Higgins. On June 1, 2017, Keith, along with his 64-year-old father, Mark Higgins, and a 34-year-old woman named Jessica Carte, were found deceased inside Mark's home on Forsythia Drive. A concerned relative had gone to check on Mark after he failed to show up for work and stumbled upon the tragic scene.
The subsequent investigation by law
enforcement revealed a grim sequence of events. Autopsies confirmed that all three victims had been shot at close range in what was described as an 'execution-style' slaying. Jessica Carte also showed signs of having been physically assaulted. As detectives delved into the case, a suspect emerged: 25-year-old Kenneth Lancaster of Indianapolis. Investigators learned that Lancaster had been giving Carte money to make payments on a rental car. Believing she had instead spent the money on drugs, Lancaster allegedly orchestrated a violent confrontation.
Witnesses reported that Lancaster, along with others, had tied up Carte before taking her to the Forsythia Drive residence where the triple homicide occurred. In February 2018, while already incarcerated on unrelated charges, Kenneth Lancaster was formally charged with three counts of murder. According to court documents, a witness stated that Lancaster had admitted to the killings on several occasions in the months following the incident.
After a four-day jury trial in October 2019, Kenneth Lancaster was found guilty on all three counts of murder. The following month, he was sentenced to 170 years in prison for his role in the deaths of Keith Higgins, Mark Higgins, and Jessica Carte, bringing a measure of justice to the victims' families.
