In the late hours of a spring evening in Indianapolis, what began as a visit between friends ended in a burst of violence that stole the life of Patrick Lamar Martin, a 24-year-old Black man. On May 19, 2014, Martin was at a friend's home on the city's Northside, a place often used for selling marijuana, when two men forced their way inside. The home, filled with the innocent presence of eight children under the age of ten, was shattered by the intrusion.
One of the assailants, later
identified as 31-year-old Mark Tyson, was armed with a shotgun. He and his accomplice, Keri Brewer, who was carrying a box cutter, confronted Martin and his friend, Aleem Thomas. Tyson pointed the shotgun at Thomas, demanding he hand over everything he had. Thomas relinquished some marijuana and twenty dollars. When Tyson turned his attention to the homeowner, Angela Kosarue, she had nothing to give. The terrifying scene was witnessed by at least one of Kosarue's children.
The confrontation escalated when Tyson turned his focus to Martin, who he believed was carrying a significant amount of cash. Witnesses heard Tyson demand that Martin give up everything, saying, 'I know you got it. I know you got it.' Shortly after, Tyson uttered, 'Watch out, Bro. I'm about to get him up out of here,' before firing the fatal shot that killed Patrick Martin. In the chaos that followed, Tyson and Brewer fled the house, leaving behind a scene of horror and grief.
The investigation into Patrick Martin's murder led police to Mark Tyson. He was arrested and subsequently charged with murder and robbery. Authorities believed the motive for the deadly home invasion was a drug-related robbery. During the trial, four witnesses, including two of the children present in the home, identified Tyson as the man with the shotgun who shot Martin. The jury found Mark Tyson guilty of murder and Class C felony robbery. For his role in the death of Patrick Martin, Tyson was sentenced to sixty-eight years in the Department of Correction.
