In the spring of 2012, the life of Wayne Anthony Keeylen Jr., a 25-year-old male from Indianapolis, Indiana, was tragically cut short. On the 10th of May, Keeylen became a victim of gun violence, a loss that would ripple through his community and set in motion a chain of events revealing flaws within the justice system. The immediate aftermath of Keeylen's death led to a homicide investigation by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, a search for answers, and a family left to grieve
their sudden and violent loss.
The investigation into Wayne Keeylen's murder soon focused on a suspect, Derrick Hazelwood. Based on the evidence gathered by detectives, Hazelwood was arrested and formally charged with the murder. The case against him proceeded, and he was incarcerated, awaiting trial for a crime that carried the weight of a life sentence. For a time, it may have seemed as though justice for Keeylen was on its course, with a suspect in custody and the legal process underway.
However, the foundation of the case against Derrick Hazelwood began to crumble under scrutiny. In January of 2015, the murder charge against him was dropped, and his record was expunged. It was later revealed that the case against him was built on questionable grounds. Hazelwood filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Indianapolis, alleging that detectives had utilized testimony from an unreliable witness and had mischaracterized evidence to secure his arrest and conviction. The city ultimately settled the lawsuit for $99,000, although it did not admit to any wrongdoing in the handling of the investigation.
Following the exoneration of Derrick Hazelwood, the case of Wayne Keeylen Jr.'s murder seemingly returned to square one. Publicly available information and news reports following the dismissal of the charges against Hazelwood do not indicate that any other suspects have been identified, arrested, or charged in connection with Keeylen's death. The story, which began with a senseless act of violence, is compounded by the injustice of a wrongful accusation, and as it stands, the murder of Wayne Keeylen Jr. remains an unsolved homicide. His family is left without answers, and the individual or individuals responsible for his death have not been brought to justice.
