Man sentenced to 53 years in case that was Indianapolis' 200th homicide of 2020

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis man found guilty in October of murdering Michael Williams in 2020 is set to serve 53 years for the crime.

Dashawn Williams was sentenced to 53 years with 50 to be served in prison.

On the night of the murder, officers located the victim inside his vehicle, after it had crashed into the tree line in the 3600 block of Lawnview Lane. The victim was suffering from a gunshot wound to the head and his foot was on the gas pedal.

The victim’s mother informed investigators that he was home the night of the murder and received two calls before leaving the house. It was determined that Williams was the last person to text the victim prior to the murder. The texts inferred the two were planning to meet for a transaction.

“On a night in 2020, a mother saw her son leave their home and never return due to a senseless act of gun violence,” Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said. “Too many people in our community experience that pain. It is on all of us to do our part to combat gun violence and prevent incidents such as this from occurring in the future.”

During an interview with investigators, Williams confessed he had planned to rob the victim of his gun. Additionally, he admitted to a brief altercation prior to the shooting.