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INDIANAPOLIS – On January 10, 2019 officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) were dispatched to 6422 Winslow Dr. in response to a caller stating they heard shots and someone yelling. Responding officers located an unresponsive male. EMS personnel responded and pronounced the victim dead on-scene. District officers continued to search for the suspects who were believed to still be at large.
Homicide detectives responded and immediately began canvassing the area for witnesses. The Indianapolis-Marion County Forensic Services Agency responded to assist in identifying and collecting potential forensic evidence. The Marion County Coroner’s Office assisted and determined the exact manner and cause of death. The MCCO will release the name of the victim once proper next-of-kin notification has been made.
Homicide detectives worked tirelessly on the case and were able to identify the alleged suspects involved in the fatal shooting. On January 11, 2019, Homicide Detectives announced the arrest of 47-year-old Benjamin Gardner and 40-year-old Kevin Lemaster for their alleged involvement in the homicide. Gardner and Lemaster have both been arrested and charged with Felony Murder and Burglary.
In 2018, IMPD made critical investments in technology that supports investigators in identifying violent offenders and returned to community-based beat policing, allowing officers to build stronger relationships in the neighborhoods they serve. IMPD ended 2018 with a clearance rate of 64%, a more than 20% increase over the prior year.
A charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
