INDIANAPOLIS — A man is now facing a murder charge in a shooting on June 15 that killed 29-year-old Wayne Nalley.
Keith Phillips, 45, had his initial hearing on the murder charge June 22.
He's accused of shooting Nalley inside of a barn in the 2000 block of North Spencer Avenue, near East 21st Street and Emerson Avenue.
Police were called and found Nalley's body, along with three .233 rifle casings.
A witness allegedly told police Nalley had been letting Phillips stay on the property and that he had been sleeping in a truck parked by a nearby fence.
The two had gotten into a fight over money and Nalley staying on the property, according to that witness. The witness also allegedly told police he knew Phillips to be violent, but that he hadn't seen him this angry before.
(NOTE: The above video is from a previous report on Phillips arrest.)
That morning, the witness was in the shop with Nalley and Phillips when Phillips came in with a rifle telling Nalley to get on the ground, stating he "was not playing" that he would shoot him. The witness allegedly grabbed the gun and told Nalley to "quit playing" but Phillips had the bigger end of the weapon and he could not get it away from him.
Phillips then reportedly fired one shot that hit the concrete floor and everyone ran, according to court documents. Then, according to the witness, he fired two shots at Nalley.
Police claim video surveillance footage showed Phillips entering the garage with a rifle shouldered and pointed at Nalley, pushing him to the front of an SUV. Phillips could allegedly be seen firing a gun into the concrete floor, then chasing Nalley out of view.
The Marion County Coroner's Office later identified Nalley's death as a homicide. His family is grieving the loss of a man they said was a lover, not a fighter.
"He had a heart, he had a heart for everybody. He didn't deserve to go out like this. We need justice for Wayne Nalley," said Jaclynn Dodson, who was Nalley's fiancé.
Dodson was there the night her fiancé was killed. She said around 4 a.m., she heard gunshots from inside the home on North Spencer Avenue and tried to stop the shooting.
According to court documents, she had grabbed Phillips' arm and told him to stop. She said he pushed her away and told her, "I'm gonna kill you. I'm gonna kill you."
Dodson then ran to get another person when she heard three shots.
"You need to be a man and come step up to what you did. You took a life. You took a father, you took somebody's son," Dodson said.
Court documents state Phillips had cut off his GPS bracelet and was on the run at the time of the shooting. Dodson told investigators Nalley knew Phillips was in trouble, but felt bad and let him stay with them.
The two had been arguing the day before about the yard, rent and sleeping there, according to a witness. They also told investigators the argument turned to shoving.
Detectives found and arrested Phillips at an apartment building in Indianapolis, and reportedly found a rifle matching the one seen in the surveillance video in a hall closet. He asked for an attorney and refused to talk to investigators, according to court documents.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact Detective Gregory Shue at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475 or by email at Gregory.Shue@indy.gov.
Tips can also be made anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.