In the spring of 2014, a quiet neighborhood in Indianapolis was shaken by a brutal crime that cut short the life of a young woman. Shannon Kleeman, a 21-year-old female, was discovered dead on March 28, 2014, in the basement of her stepmother's home. The shocking discovery was made by her sister who had grown worried after being unable to reach her.
What unfolded was a grim tale of violence that left a family shattered and a community in disbelief.
Shannon had been staying at her stepmother's house to look after her pets while she was in the hospital. The following morning, after her sister found the front door unlocked, the horrific scene was revealed in the basement. Shannon's body was found partially clothed, having suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head from a twelve-gauge shotgun. The subsequent investigation would reveal that she had also been sexually assaulted. The brutality of the crime was immediately apparent, and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department launched a homicide investigation.
Suspicion soon fell upon a neighbor, Morice Ervin. Investigators learned that Ervin was familiar with the victim and her stepmother. Crucially, he was aware of a shotgun kept in the house, a weapon he had previously helped load. As the investigation progressed, forensic evidence would forge a damning link between Ervin and the heinous crime. DNA evidence collected from Shannon's body, including from under her fingernails and on her breast, was a match to Morice Ervin.
Faced with the mounting evidence, authorities arrested Morice Ervin in connection with Shannon Kleeman's murder and rape. He was subsequently charged with murder and Class A felony rape. The case proceeded to trial, where a jury was presented with the grim details of the crime and the compelling scientific evidence linking Ervin to the scene. The prosecution painted a picture of a violent and calculated attack on a vulnerable young woman. After hearing the evidence, the jury found Morice Ervin guilty on all counts. He was sentenced to a term of 135 years in prison, ensuring that the man responsible for the senseless death of Shannon Kleeman would be held accountable for his actions.
