INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A 19-year-old man has been sentenced to 189 years in prison for the fatal shootings of three young men whose bodies were found along a path in Indianapolis.
A Marion County jury convicted Caden Smith of three counts of murder and other charges, including robbery and dangerous possession of a firearm following a 5-day trial.
Smith, of Indianapolis, was 16 in October 2021 when a police officer found Joseph Thomas, 18, Michael James, 22, and Abdulla Mubarak, 17, shot to death on a path lined by tall grasses on Indianapolis' south side. He was charged as an adult in the killings in November 2021.
The Marion County Prosecutor's Office said Monday in a statement that Smith was identified as a suspect through his communication with the three victims prior to their killings. Investigators learned Smith had taken the victims to the field to demonstrate a gun conversion device known as a “Glock switch” that can make a semi-automatic weapon fire like a machine gun.
When Smith was arrested, investigators found the murder weapon in his residence, according to the prosecutor's office.
“Once again, the sale of unregulated firearms led to the tragic deaths of three innocent people, stated Prosecutor Mears. “This significant sentence is a testament to our commitment to holding violent individuals accountable for their actions. We are grateful for today’s announcement and thanks to the dedication of our deputy prosecutors and the investigators, justice was served for Abdullah, Joseph, Michael, and their families.”
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