Victims identified in Forsythia Drive triple homicide
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A suspicious death investigation turned into a homicide investigation after police discovered three people dead inside a home on the city’s east side.
Police responded to a call in the 1800 block of Forsythia Drive near 16th Street and North Franklin Road just before 10 a.m. on Thursday.
Police said a relative of the homeowner called 911 after discovering the bodies. Police said the relative stopped by the home to check on the homeowner when the homeowner didn’t show up to work Thursday morning.
The Marion County Coroner’s Office has identified the victims, but has not released a cause and manner of death for the three victims as of Friday morning.
The victims have been identified as 64-year-old Mark Higgins, 34-year-old Keith Higgins and 34-year-old Jessica Carte. Police say Mark Higgins was the homeowner, Keith Higgins was his son and it is unclear at this point the connection between the Higgins and Jessica Carte.
Police said a Red Monte Carlo was also taken from the driveway of the home. But it didn’t take long for police to find that car.
It was in an alley in someone’s yard where police found a Red Monte Carlo wanted in connection to a triple homicide investigation.
“It’s terrifying, too, because we walk this all the time,” said Pamela Allen, neighbor. “You know, we go to the parks and all that; to see something like this, it’s just terrifying.”
Pamela Allen has lived in the neighborhood for about 10 years. She said she didn’t see anything out of the ordinary Thursday.
“I’ve never seen anything; usually all the alleys are empty,” she said. “You never see nobody walking in, or you never see cars in them.”
Another neighbor told 24-Hour News 8 off camera that her friend was moving into a house in the 100 block of Catherwood Avenue when she noticed a red car in the backyard.
The neighbor said her friend asked around to see if the car belonged to anyone before calling police. But how the car ended up more than nine minutes away from where it was taken is still a mystery.
Crime scene technicians spent most of the day processing the home inside and out for any clues and evidence.
“Obviously there’s three victims here, and so we need all the resources that we can to figure exactly what took place here today,” said IMPD Officer Aaron Hamer.
Susan and Charles Horton live right across the street and saw the police activity.
“I’ve never seen anything like that happen in the 42 years that we’ve been here,” said Susan Horton, neighbor. “It’s a very quiet, wonderful neighborhood.”
The Hortons said they knew the people who lived at that home.
“Very nice wonderful people, very friendly have been here for years and they do anything for you just very nice people,” she described. “They always keep their property very nice, have lots of flowers. He mows the yard two or three times a week, and their children have grown up here.”
24-Hour News 8 talked with several neighbors on and off camera in the neighborhood; they said they didn’t hear any gunshots.
At this time, police said they couldn’t find any signs of forced entry and do not believe all the victims lived in the home.