INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man was sentenced to 360 years in prison for the 2021 mass murder that resulted in the death of six of his family members.
Raymond Childs III was sentenced by a Marion County Judge on March 10 after being convicted of six counts of Murder, Attempted Murder (Level 1 Felony), and Carrying a Handgun without a License (Class A Misdemeanor).
A jury returned the guilty-as-charged verdict after a five-day jury trial. This case was tried twice before a jury. In July 2024, the Court declared a mistrial.
On January 24, 2021, IMPD officers were dispatched to a residence in the 3300 block of East 36th Street on reports of a person shot. When they arrived, officers located Raymond Childs III's brother suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The victim told police officers his family had been shot by Childs.
When officers entered the Childs’ home, they discovered the bodies of five victims, including a pregnant woman, who had been shot and killed. Later, the surviving brother explained that Childs, who was 17 at the time, had gotten in trouble for coming home past his curfew and got into an argument with his parents before opening fire on the family.
Childs’ extended family obtained the murder weapon from Childs III and turned it over to law enforcement within hours of the murders. Childs III was arrested at a family member’s residence following the shooting.
The following people were shot and killed by Childs that day: Kezzie Childs, 42, Raymond Childs Jr., 42, Elijah Childs, 18, Rita Childs, 13, Kiara Hawkins, 19, and Hawkins' unborn child, Khaos Hawkins.
Prosecutor Ryan Mears issued the following statement regarding today’s sentencing:
“The defendant brutally murdered six people: his father, stepmother, older brother, younger sister, his older brother’s girlfriend, and her unborn child. There is no penalty that could ever reflect the harm and unimaginable loss caused by the defendant’s actions.
This resolution would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of law enforcement, our trial team, and the victims’ families, who have shown incredible strength and resilience in the face of an unimaginable tragedy.
We should join together to support and honor the families of Raymond Childs Jr., Kezzie Childs, Elijah Childs, Rita Childs, Kiara Hawkins, and Khaos Hawkins and the legacies they leave behind."
