Rito Llamas-Juarez, a 50-year-old man, was fatally shot in Indianapolis, Indiana, on February 29, 2016, during a pre-arranged meeting to purchase an iPhone 6 that he had found through the OfferUp application. Accompanied by family members, Llamas-Juarez was in the passenger seat of a vehicle in a parking lot on the northeast side of the city when they were approached by three young men.
Following a brief conversation, one of the men brandished an automatic rifle and shot Llamas-Juarez in the chest.
The investigation swiftly led authorities to identify 22-year-old Larry Joe Thomas of Indianapolis as the primary suspect. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department's digital forensics unit was instrumental in connecting Thomas to the crime by linking his Facebook account to the OfferUp advertisement. Further evidence was uncovered during a search of Thomas's residence, where investigators found a box of. 223-caliber rifle ammunition, matching the type used in the shooting. This, in conjunction with witness testimony and fingerprints found on the iPhone box inside Llamas-Juarez's vehicle, solidified the case against Thomas. Investigators also found photos on Thomas's 'Slaughtaboi Larro' Facebook account of him holding an assault rifle with ammunition that matched what was used in the murder. A cigarette butt with Thomas's DNA was also recovered from the scene.
Larry Joe Thomas was subsequently arrested and faced charges of two counts of murder and one count of attempted robbery. During his trial, Thomas admitted to being at the scene, owning the rifle and ammunition, and communicating with the victims, but he claimed a friend was the one who fired the weapon. In May 2018, a jury found Thomas guilty on all charges. The following month, in June 2018, he was sentenced to 60 years in prison for his role in the fatal shooting. The court proceedings revealed that the tragic incident stemmed from a botched robbery attempt.
