Triple homicide in apartments puts Lebanon on high alert
LEBANON, Ind. (WISH) — This Boone County city of 16,000 is on high alert after three people were murdered: a father, his son and the son’s girlfriend.
Police by Thursday afternoon had not released any information about a suspect, but the victim’s family told News 8 they believe the suspect is close by.
Stephanie Spencer came to see for herself what had happen to her cousin, Larry Stogsdill, 42; Brannon Martin, 21, and Grace Bishop, 20. Spencer said she got the news late Wednesday afternoon that something horrible had happen inside of an apartment building on the south side of Lebanon.
It was not immediately clear what the three were doing inside of the apartment. I-Team 8 was told that none of the victims are listed on the lease of the apartment, but that someone came to check on them late Wednesday afternoon and found the victims in different parts of the apartment.
Spencer believes this is was not a random act of violence and the suspect came to the apartment for a reason. “All I know is that it was possibly related to drugs,” Spencer said. “Other than that I don’t know anymore information.”
Another member of the family, Shannon Fuentes, says that she has heard a few names of possible suspects. “I saw Larry, it was about two months ago,” Fuentes recalled.
She says that Lebanon is a close-knit community and that eventually someone will talk. She encourages the suspect or suspects to come forward. “This is Lebanon and it’s a small community so talk goes around, and names fly around as far as suspects.”
Neighbors say that police have been to this apartment building several times in the past couple of months. There have been issues with people loitering at the entrance and a sign as been put up to discourage people from hanging around the building.
Vince Moore lives right down the street. “It used to be when say where you live, you know, people you would say, ‘Oh, you live by the roach motel,’ ‘You live near the drug apartments,’ but now it’s going to be ‘Oh, you live where the people died.’ It is just awful to have … that stigma in your own yard,” Moore said.
The Lebanon Police Department is expected to provide an update Friday.
