In a tragic turn of events that shook an Indianapolis community, 18-year-old Davon Dwayne Whitlock was found deceased on March 24, 2015. An African-American male, Whitlock was the victim of a quadruple homicide that took place inside a home on the 3100 block of North Harding Street. Also killed in the brutal shooting were his mother, 41-year-old Terri Betties, his cousin, 32-year-old Tiara Turner, and a family friend, 48-year-old Sherri Taylor.
The investigation into the four deaths was fraught with challenges from the beginning. For years, the case remained cold, leaving the families of the victims in a painful state of uncertainty. A break in the case seemed to come in January 2019, nearly four years after the killings, when Marion County prosecutors announced charges against Nicholas Dunn, a 36-year-old man who was already incarcerated on a weapons conviction. Dunn was charged with four counts of murder in connection with the deaths of Whitlock, his mother, his cousin, and their friend. The charges were reportedly based on new evidence that had come to light, implicating Dunn in the slayings.
However, the path to justice took another unexpected turn in July 2022, when the Marion County Prosecutor's Office made the difficult decision to drop all murder charges against Dunn. This decision was precipitated by a series of devastating setbacks for the prosecution. Two key witnesses in the case had died, significantly weakening the testimony needed for a trial. Furthermore, crucial DNA evidence that had been collected from the scene was found to have been compromised, rendering it inadmissible in court. Prosecutors stated that while Dunn's DNA was found on a bottle and cigarette butts in the home, this was considered circumstantial as he admitted to having been in the house on previous occasions. The charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled in the future if new evidence emerges. As it stands, the investigation into the murders of Davon Whitlock and the three other victims remains open, and no one is currently in custody for the crime.
