Trio sentenced for 2020 murder of Chris Beaty

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A Marion County judge on Wednesday sentenced three people to a combined 436 years in prison for the killing of Chris Beaty during the 2020 downtown riots.

Marcus Anderson and Alijah Jones each received 164 years. Each sentence included 60 years for Beaty’s murder and 13 years each on eight counts of robbery.

Nakeyah Shields was sentenced to 108 years. Her sentence includes 52 years for murder and eight years each on seven counts of robbery.

All three prison sentences will be served consecutively.

In May, a jury convicted Anderson, Jones, and Shields of robbing and killing Beaty on May 30, 2020, during the protests and riots that erupted following the murder of George Floyd.

Beaty, 38, was a well-known local businessman nicknamed “Mr. Indianapolis.” He was a former student-athlete at Cathedral High School and played football at Indiana University.

Prosecutors said Beaty was shot and killed while trying to stop a robbery.

According to police, Beaty decided to go outside and check on his building in the 4000 block of North Delaware Street at around 11:30 p.m. on May 30.

“I’m ’bout to walk around the block now to make sure my building is good,” Beaty wrote in a text sent at 11:35 p.m.

Surveillance video from Beaty’s building shows him walking out the front door about one minute later.

Four minutes after that, police say, Beaty was shot. He died at the scene. His phone was found on the road near his body.

Investigators determined Anderson fired the shot that killed Beaty.

Anderson, Jones, and Shields were part of a group that robbed or tried to rob Beaty and six other people at gunpoint on the night of the riots, according to police. The crimes occurred within a matter of minutes, ending with Beaty’s murder near Talbott and Vermont Streets.

All three indicated they plan to appeal their convictions.