In the late hours of November 28, 2015, the life of 34-year-old Tomika Mack was tragically cut short in a violent encounter inside a duplex on the east side of Indianapolis. Responding to a call, police discovered Ms. Mack and another woman, India Barnes, also 34, both suffering from fatal gunshot wounds. The residence, located in the 4100 block of East New York Street, was operating as a halfway house, a place intended to be a sanctuary for those seeking a new start.
The investigation
into the double homicide quickly pointed to a suspect: Eric Horton. In the days following the shooting, law enforcement tracked Horton to Urbana, Illinois, where he was apprehended and subsequently charged with two counts of murder. Details emerged that the duplex where the women were killed belonged to Horton's father. Leading up to the fatal incident, Horton had reportedly exhibited increasingly erratic and threatening behavior, including brandishing a firearm. On the day of the murders, he had been at the duplex with several other people, including Mack and Barnes.
Eric Horton stood trial for the murders of Tomika Mack and India Barnes. The legal proceedings revealed a disturbing sequence of events that culminated in the senseless deaths of the two women. Following the presentation of evidence and testimony, a jury found Horton guilty on both counts of murder.
For his crimes, Eric Horton was sentenced to two consecutive sixty-year prison terms, ensuring he would spend the remainder of his life behind bars. The court's decision brought a measure of legal closure to the families of Tomika Mack and India Barnes, though the profound loss of two vibrant young women continues to be felt by their loved ones and the Indianapolis community.
