According to a report by Law and Crime on Monday, August 26, 2024, a jury found 19-year-old Caden Smith guilty of a series of heinous crimes, including the murder of three young men in 2021.
The verdict, delivered on Friday, culminates a nearly three-year-long investigation and trial that revealed chilling details of Smith’s actions, which left three families devastated and a community searching for answers.
Smith, who was just 16 at the time of the murders, was convicted on multiple charges: three counts of murder, robbery, dangerous possession of a machine gun, and possession of methamphetamine, among others.
The victims—Abdulla Mubarak, 17; Joseph Thomas, 18; and Michael James, 22—were found dead in October 2021 in a remote area of Indianapolis.
The case has since been described as one of the most disturbing criminal acts in recent memory for the city.
The tragic events began on October 12, 2021, when an officer from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department discovered the bodies of the three men in a field overgrown with tall grass near the 4400 block of S. Meridian Street.
All three had suffered fatal gunshot wounds. At the scene, investigators recovered several spent shell casings, a grim testament to the violence that had occurred.
As the investigation unfolded, authorities uncovered a series of text messages that revealed the sinister plot. told by ABC News
Smith had lured the three men to the isolated field under the guise of demonstrating how to modify a Glock handgun into a machine gun using a device known as a “Glock switch.”
This small device, illegal under federal law, can convert a semiautomatic firearm into a fully automatic weapon capable of firing multiple rounds with a single trigger pull.
But the demonstration was a ruse. Instead of merely showing the men how the device worked, Smith used the opportunity to murder them, intending to rob them afterward.
The murders, which took place over two nights, shocked the local community and led to widespread fear.
Rumors even began circulating that a serial killer might be responsible, a theory quickly dispelled by police once Smith was identified as the prime suspect.
Smith was arrested after detectives traced the murder weapon back to him.
However, the path to his conviction was not straightforward. In 2022, a significant hurdle emerged when a judge ruled that detectives had violated Smith’s Fourth Amendment rights during the execution of a search warrant, leading to the suppression of key evidence.
This decision temporarily derailed the prosecution’s case and resulted in Smith’s release from jail, albeit under strict conditions, including wearing a GPS ankle monitor.
Yet, Smith’s time outside of jail was short-lived.
On his 18th birthday, he was rearrested after investigators discovered Snapchat photos showing him in possession of a firearm and drugs, violating the terms of his release.
This violation landed Smith back in jail, where he remained until his trial began in August 2024.
The trial itself, which lasted five days, was a grueling process for the families of the victims, who had waited nearly three years for justice.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears praised the efforts of law enforcement and the legal team that secured the conviction, acknowledging the emotional toll the case had taken on everyone involved.
“Abdullah’s, Joseph’s, and Michael’s families will never be able to see them grow up and live their lives,” Mears stated following the verdict.
“This verdict solidifies that Smith will likely spend the rest of his life in prison for the crimes he committed.”
