INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man has been sentenced in the 2021 shooting deaths of three people on the city's south side.
A Marion County judge sentenced Caden Smith to 189 years. Smith, who was 16 at the time of the incident, was convicted in August after a five-day trial on the following charges:
- Three counts of murder
- Two counts of felony murder
- Two counts of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury (Level 2 felony)
- Dangerous possession of a machine Gun (Level 5 felony)
- Dangerous possession of a firearm (Class A Misdemeanor)
- Possession of methamphetamine (Level 3 felony)
- Possession of marijuana (Class B Misdemeanor)
- Resisting law enforcement (Class A Misdemeanor)
On Oct. 12, 2021, an IMPD officer found the bodies of Michael James, Abdullah Mubark and Joseph Thomas with gunshot wounds in a grassy area near South Meridian Street and West Hanna Avenue. Several fired shell casings were located nearby.
"Smith was identified as a suspect through his communication with the victims prior to their murders," the Marion County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. "It was learned that Smith had taken the three victims to the field, where they were later found, to show them how a Glock switch works."
Investigators found the murder weapon in Smith's home when taking him into custody.
“Once again, the sale of unregulated firearms led to the tragic deaths of three innocent people," Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said in a statement. "This significant sentence is a testament to our commitment to holding violent individuals accountable for their actions. We are grateful for today’s announcement and thanks to the dedication of our deputy prosecutors and the investigators, justice was served for Abdullah, Joseph, Michael, and their families.”
In 2022, a judge said detectives violated Smith's Fourth Amendment right during a search warrant, resulting in key evidence being thrown out in the case. Smith was released with a GPS ankle monitor and wasn't allowed to leave the state, but police then said he violated his release order.
According to court documents, investigators said they found Snapchat photos of Smith with a gun and drugs.
The then-18-year-old was arrested on his birthday at a home where police claimed they found more guns, drugs and ammunition. He was charged with dealing marijuana, visiting a common nuisance, invasion of privacy and violating his pretrial release conditions.
His attorney argued his client wasn't in possession of those guns.