INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man was found guilty of murder Friday in the shooting deaths of five people, including family members and a pregnant woman about to give birth, prosecutors announced.
After deliberating for about three hours, a jury found Raymond Childs III guilty of six counts of murder in the murder, according to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. Childs was also convicted of attempted murder and misdemeanor possession of a handgun without a license.
The conviction after a five-day trial came months after a judge declared a mistrial after witnesses verbally questioned Mr. Childs in front of the jury at his first trial.
Childs, 21, was arrested the day after a shooting inside an Indianapolis home in January 2021. The attack killed Childs’ father, Raymond Childs Jr., 42. stepmother Kezzie Childs (42); The couple’s daughter Rita Childs (13). son Elijah Childs, 18; Elijah’s 19-year-old girlfriend, Kiara Hawkins, died at the hospital along with her unborn child.
According to court records, the killing occurred after an argument over Childs, who was 17 at the time, staying up late. Prosecutors said Childs systematically moved from room to room and shot the victims. Childs’ 15-year-old brother was also shot, but survived after fleeing the home to escape the gunfire.
“What happened inside that house is as unfathomable today as it is in 2021,” Prosecutor Ryan Mears said in a statement Friday. He said the sentence brought “justice to the victims of this horrific crime”.
“This has been an incredibly difficult journey for the families and friends of the six people we tragically lost,” Mears said. “I am proud of the trial team, law enforcement, and witnesses who remained committed to the victims in the face of adversity.”
Childs’ sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 7, and he faces 40 to 65 years in prison for each murder charge, 20 to 40 years for the attempted murder charge, and 1 to 6 years for the handgun charge.
A phone message left with Childs’ attorney seeking comment Friday was not immediately returned.
