22-year-old charged with murder, armed robbery of marijuana
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – A 22-year-old Indianapolis man was formally charged Wednesday with murder and armed robbery that happened when a drug deal turned sour, according to court documents.
Demontae Adams, 22, was charged with the March 17 shooting death of 30-year-old Dustin Denney. The shooting happened around 1:20 a.m. in the 1800 block of Singleton Street, near the intersection of Raymond and East streets. Denney died about a half-hour later at Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital, court documents said.
A man identified in court documents as “B.B.” told police he occasionally sold drugs to Adams, and Adams sometimes sold narcotics to “B.B.” Prior to the shooting at the home of “B.B.,” Adams took marijuana from “B.B.” without paying for it, which caused Denney to tell Adams to pay “B.B.” Adams said he had no money and then pointed a handgun at “B.B.” Denney then stepped toward Adams, who fired one or two times, “B.B.” told Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department investigators. Adams fled.
Police eventually found Adams by using a phone number “B.B.” gave them and tracking Adams via Facebook. Police found Adams at a girlfriend’s house about noon March 17.
An autopsy found Denney died of a gunshot wound to the chest in the homicide.
The armed robbery charge is in relation to the taking of the marijuana at gunpoint, court filings said.
Adams was in Marion County Jail on Wednesday night. A pretrial conference is scheduled for Adams on May 9 in Marion Superior Court, Criminal Division 5.
A jail-booking photo of Adams was not immediately available from IMPD on Wednesday night.
