In the autumn of 2015, on October 4th, a young man's life was cut short on the east side of Indianapolis. Seventeen-year-old Steven Kendall, a male, was shot and killed near the intersection of New York and Rural Streets. The incident unfolded in the afternoon, and when law enforcement arrived, they found Kendall in an alley in the 2800 block of East New York Street.
A handgun was discovered near his body.
The investigation into Kendall's death quickly led to the identification of three teenage suspects, all of whom were described as being friends with the victim. Kaylend Gilbert, Jalen Heffner, and Terrance Richardson, all 17 at the time, were arrested in connection with the fatal shooting. The three were subsequently charged with murder. Surveillance footage captured the moments leading up to the incident, showing the four young men together.
The legal process that followed brought the case to trial in November of the following year. The prosecution presented its case against all three defendants. However, the trial concluded with differing outcomes for the accused. Kaylend Gilbert and Jaylen Heffner were both acquitted of the murder charges.
Terrance Richardson, the third defendant, was found guilty of the murder of Steven Kendall. Following his conviction in November, Richardson was sentenced in December. The court proceedings detailed that Richardson fired a single shot into Kendall's chest. Although Kendall was armed, he did not get a shot off before he collapsed and succumbed to his injury. Richardson's claim of self-defense was ultimately rejected by the court.
