In the early morning hours of February 9, 2017, the life of 20-year-old Zackary Mason Farmer of Middletown, Indiana, was tragically cut short in Muncie. He was a former football letterman at Shenandoah High School, known for his love of hunting and fishing. On that fateful night, Zackary was at a friend's home, unaware of the violence that was about to unfold.
Between 3:00 and 4:00 a.m., Zackary was with two other men, Isaiah Davis and Hunter Hess, in Davis's bedroom.
The group was smoking marijuana when a man armed with a handgun appeared in the doorway and a gunshot rang out. Davis, who was a known drug dealer in the Muncie area, retrieved his own handgun and fired at the intruder, who then fled the scene. In the aftermath, it was discovered that Zackary had been struck by multiple bullets.
Despite efforts to get him to a hospital, Zackary Mason Farmer was pronounced dead at the scene, having sustained gunshot wounds to his head, chest, and legs. The subsequent investigation revealed that the incident was the result of a planned robbery targeting Isaiah Davis. A man named Marcus D. Hanyard had conspired with others to rob Davis of drugs and money. An associate of Davis, Matt Fisher, had provided Hanyard with information about the layout of the house and when Davis would be in possession of drugs.
The investigation led to the arrest of Marcus D. Hanyard. In the course of the legal proceedings, Hanyard was convicted of murder, Level 1 felony conspiracy to commit burglary, and Level 4 felony unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon. For his role in the death of Zackary Farmer, he was ordered to serve an aggregate sentence of sixty-one years in the Department of Correction. Two other men were also arrested during the investigation for misleading the police.
