Police investigating after body found in alley on east side

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Police are investigating after a body was discovered in an alley on the city’s east side Wednesday morning.

According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, police were called to the 2900 block of North Denny Street around 7 a.m. Wednesday for reports of a body laying in an alley.

After arriving on scene, officers discovered the unresponsive man in the alley.  The man, 49-year-old Lee Banyon, was then pronounced dead at the scene.

The case remains under investigation, as homicide detectives responded to the scene to collect evidence and conduct interviews.

Cause of death has yet to be determined.

Banyon’s mother, Hazzie Banyon, told 24-Hour News 8 that she last saw her son on July 4th when he visited her home. She hadn’t heard from him since but didn’t feel the need to report him missing. When news broke of a body being found, she feared the worst since the crime scene was near her son’s home.

“My mind went dead on him because that ain’t like him to come up missing and don’t come back,” she said. “He don’t stay gone like that and I said ‘lord have mercy, I hope that ain’t him’.”

Investigators made no mention of gunshots or a struggle, but Banyon’s family firmly believes that somebody was responsible for his death.

“I don’t know what it could have been, but whatever it was, don’t nobody deserve to be taken out like that then thrown in the back of an alley,” said Roy Truitt, Banyon’s older brother. “If you (are) man enough to do that, you (are) man enough then (to) turn yourself in.”

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.