On the evening of October 8, 2020, 22-year-old Daniel Baxter was in his vehicle, waiting at a stoplight at the intersection of East 30th Street and North Keystone Avenue in Indianapolis. Suddenly, a black Dodge Charger pulled up behind him. A man, later identified as Keith Cole, exited the passenger side of the Charger, walked up to Baxter's car, and fired five shots at him before getting back into the vehicle, which then sped away.
An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department lieutenant witnessed Baxter's car crash near the intersection and found him inside, unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds. Despite medical efforts, Baxter succumbed to his injuries.
Investigators quickly pieced together the events leading to the fatal shooting. Security footage from Daniel Baxter's apartment complex revealed that the black Dodge Charger had been following him as he left his residence just moments before the deadly encounter. Utilizing FLOCK cameras, law enforcement was able to identify and track the suspect's vehicle. Witnesses at the scene provided a description of the car and the weapon used in the brazen attack. The investigation led them to Keith Cole, a resident of Lawrence.
Upon searching Cole's home, investigators discovered the murder weapon, a. 357 Magnum revolver, wrapped in a plastic bag and discarded in an outdoor trash can. Cole's fingerprint was found on one of the bags, and his DNA was present on the revolver itself. Further evidence against Cole included security footage from the day of the murder showing him wearing clothing that matched the description of the shooter—black pants with distinctive red stripes down the legs. Cell phone records also placed Cole in the vicinity of the shooting at the time it occurred. The driver of the Dodge Charger, Curtis Carson, later cooperated with authorities, stating that he had followed Baxter's vehicle at Cole's direction before Cole committed the murder. Carson also revealed that immediately following the shooting, he and Cole attempted to alter the appearance of the Charger by removing its distinctive red stripes.
Following a three-day trial in March 2024, a jury found Keith Cole guilty of the murder of Daniel Baxter. In a recorded jailhouse phone call after the search of his home, Cole was heard saying, 'Damn, they got it,' and 'It's over.' Weeks before his trial, he also attempted to bribe the driver of the getaway car, Curtis Carson, not to testify against him. In April 2024, Keith Cole was sentenced to 63 years in prison for his role in the death of Daniel Baxter.
