Emeterio Islas

A 19-year-old Hispanic male named Emeterio Islas was the victim of a violent homicide in Indianapolis, Indiana, during the summer of 2014. On June 12, 2014, authorities discovered his body in a wooded area along Little Eagle Creek, located near the 3300 block of West Washington Street on the city's near-west side. The discovery marked a grim moment in a particularly violent period for the city, with his death recorded as one of several gun-related fatalities in the area that year.

The circumstances surrounding the young man's death were brutal. Investigators determined that he had been shot multiple times before being buried in a shallow grave, an attempt to conceal the crime that suggested a deliberate effort by the perpetrator or perpetrators to hide the body. Reports identified him as a native of Las Choapas in Veracruz, Mexico. In some media accounts of the incident, he was referred to by the name Emeterio Velazquez, likely a variation involving his maternal surname, but local community vigils and other records recognized him as Emeterio Islas.

Despite the discovery of his remains and the determination of the cause of death, information regarding the apprehension of those responsible has remained scarce in public records. While arrests were made in connection with other homicides occurring in Indianapolis around the same time, no specific suspects or charges were immediately reported in connection with the killing of Emeterio Islas. The case was listed among the city's unsolved homicides in subsequent years, leaving the investigation open as detectives sought leads that could explain who targeted the teenager and why he was left in such a remote location. Community members later gathered to remember him and other victims of violence during prayer vigils, highlighting the impact of his loss on the local area.