In the early hours of March 19, 2014, in Indianapolis, Indiana, the life of 20-year-old Timmy Moorman was tragically cut short. He was discovered in the basement of a residence with a fatal gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead later that day at Eskenazi Hospital. The nature of his death immediately prompted a homicide investigation by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
The investigation into the shooting uncovered a grim family tragedy.
The man responsible for Timmy Moorman's death was identified as his own uncle, Richard Burns Jr. On the night of the incident, police were called to the home of Burns's father. There they found not only Moorman, but also another man, Sherman Wagers, who was in a detached garage suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest. Wagers survived the attack and was able to provide investigators with crucial information. He recounted that Burns had entered his room, struck him with a handgun, and then shot him.
Court documents later painted a disturbing picture of Richard Burns Jr.'s state of mind leading up to the violent outburst. He had a known history of violent behavior and had been ranting about his childhood and his mother's death on the night of the shootings. He had also reportedly threatened his own father with a handgun, asking him if he was afraid to die.
Following the investigation, Richard Burns Jr. was arrested and faced serious charges for his actions. He was charged with one count of murder for the death of his nephew, Timmy Moorman, and one count of attempted murder for the shooting of Sherman Wagers.
