In the pre-dawn hours of a summer Friday in Indianapolis, the quiet of the city's east side was shattered by violence that would leave two families grieving. On July 8, 2016, police were called to the 900 block of North Oxford Street, where they discovered a grim scene. Forty-eight-year-old Kevin Sargent, a male from Indianapolis, was found deceased inside a vehicle. Not far away, in the street, lay the body of 26-year-old Kendall Howell, also of Indianapolis.
Both men had been shot and killed.
As the investigation into the double homicide began, details about what transpired remained scarce. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police detectives worked to piece together the events leading to the men's deaths. Evidence at the scene, or rather the lack of it, led investigators to believe that the shooting may have occurred at a different location. While the bodies of Sargent and Howell were found on North Oxford Street, shell casings were discovered three blocks to the north. This suggested the possibility that the two men were shot elsewhere and their bodies were left behind. Adding to this theory was a report of shots fired in the area a few hours before the bodies were found.
In the initial stages of their investigation, law enforcement officials announced that they had not identified any suspects in the killings. The community was left with questions as the search for those responsible for the deaths of Kevin Sargent and Kendall Howell commenced. Information regarding any subsequent arrests or the identification of any suspects in the years following the shooting has not been made publicly available. The case remains a painful and unresolved chapter for the families of the two victims.
