In the winter of 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana, a 49-year-old pizza delivery driver named John Sullivan was lured to his death in what began as a robbery. The White/Caucasian male was working for Just Pizza on January 18th when he went to deliver an order to a building in the 1800 block of Belmont Avenue. There, he was met by Derek Romano and Jeremiah Roberts, who had placed the order with the intention of robbing him.
The following morning, Sullivan's body was discovered in the basement
of the building. Investigators determined that Romano and Roberts had murdered him and then fled the scene in Sullivan's vehicle. Coworkers at Just Pizza grew concerned when Sullivan did not return from his delivery, and they began receiving calls from customers who had not received their orders.
An investigation was launched, and authorities were able to track the suspects, Romano and Roberts, to Wyoming, where they were apprehended two days after the discovery of Sullivan's body. Information from the suspects' Facebook pages was utilized by homicide detectives as part of their investigation. The two men were then extradited back to Indianapolis to face charges for the murder and robbery.
In the ensuing legal proceedings, Derek Romano pleaded guilty to the murder of John Sullivan and received a sentence of 55 years in the Indiana Department of Correction. Jeremiah Roberts was found guilty of both murder and robbery, resulting in a 68-year sentence. In a grim twist to the case, while serving their sentences, Romano was accused of killing his former accomplice and cellmate, Jeremiah Roberts, inside the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility on May 3, 2020.
