On December 27, 2014, a violent incident occurred in Evansville, Indiana, that resulted in the death of 25-year-old Decedric Demar Williams. The shooting took place shortly after midnight at the Marathon gas station located at the intersection of Walnut Street and Kentucky Avenue. Williams, a Black male, was at the location when he was confronted and fatally shot. He was transported to St. Mary's Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The tragedy left behind grieving family members, including his parents and children, and sparked an immediate investigation by the Evansville Police Department to identify those responsible for the crime.
Investigators quickly identified a suspect, Demeko Bradley, who had fled the jurisdiction following the shooting. A murder warrant was issued for his arrest, leading to a manhunt that extended across state lines. On January 2, 2015, members of the Southern Indiana U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force located Bradley at a residence in the Shelby Park area of Louisville, Kentucky. When authorities attempted to apprehend him, Bradley fled on foot but was ultimately captured by a Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office K-9 unit. He required medical treatment for injuries sustained during the arrest before being held in the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections pending extradition back to Indiana.
Legal proceedings revealed that the shooting was likely motivated by a dispute involving a mutual acquaintance, Erin Harvell, with whom both men had a past relationship. During the trial, evidence was presented placing Bradley at the scene in a blue Tahoe along with two other individuals. The prosecution argued that Bradley fired the fatal shots during the confrontation at the gas station. Bradley was ultimately found guilty of murder. He later appealed his conviction, arguing self-defense and contesting the admission of certain evidence, but the Indiana Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction and sentence in November 2016, upholding the lower court's decision.
