A deadly year: Here are all the homicides reported in the Evansville area in 2021

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — 2021 was one of the deadliest years in recent memory.

Slayings last year ran the gamut from multiple people charged with murder after a 3-year-old accidentally overdosed on fentanyl to an alleged killing-for-hire scheme.

By the Courier & Press' count, 21 people died in homicides in 2021: the most since at least 2017 and one of the highest totals since the late 1960s, according to Evansville police data.

Evansville police officially list 20 homicides, leaving out a police shooting. The Courier & Press is including it in the list because it meet Indiana's legal definition of homicide.

That doesn't mean all the deaths are murders. EPD listed 16 murders in 2021.

Under Indiana law, murder is defined as the intentional killing of another person, or the act of killing someone while committing another crime, including burglary, drug-dealing and others.

Homicides, meanwhile, can include deaths from neglect or accidents.

Within Vanderburgh County, the victims' ages ranged from 3 to 50, but skewed young overall: 13 were 30 or younger, and four were teenagers. Seven of the deaths remain unsolved. And 14 died in shootings.

As 2021 came to a close, homicidal violence skyrocketed. At one point in December, Evansville saw seven killings in a span of 16 days.

More: 7 homicides in 16 days: Here's what we know about recent Evansville killings

Surrounding counties were quieter. Posey County reported a double slaying (a married couple killed in their home), and Gibson County had one homicide (a son accused of killing his mother). Warrick County, meanwhile, had none.

Below is the complete list of homicides in Vanderburgh, Posey and Gibson counties for 2021.

Vanderburgh County

21. Carlis Falls, 43, on Dec. 28

Police responded to a shooting in the 900 block of Oregon Street around 3:45 p.m. Upon arrival, they found Falls lying in the street and performed CPR until medics transported him to the hospital, where he later died. A warrant was issued for the arrest of Fabian L. Bennett, 30, in connection with the murder.

According to the probable cause affidavit in the case, the argument started over a piece of construction equipment.

Bennett reportedly hired Falls' construction company to do work on his home.

A family member of Falls' who works for him said they removed equipment from the home thinking it belonged to another co-worker. It was apparently a misunderstanding.

Bennett allegedly accused the two of being "thieves," the affidavit states. Falls and the worker returned the equipment, but the worker told police Bennett shouted at Falls and followed him into the street.

"He then observed the male pull out a handgun and shoot the victim multiple times and then stand over him," the affidavit states.

Bennett appeared in court Tuesday via video from the Vanderburgh County jail. He pleaded not guilty.

Falls was a father and husband. According to Courier & Press archives, Falls was a running back for the now-defunct Evansville Vipers, a semi-pro football team, in the early 2000s. He was married and a father of three.

20. Bre'Osha Shene Suggs, 24, on Dec. 21

Around 6:35 p.m., EPD officers found a woman suffering from a gunshot wound in the 1300 block of Savannah Drive. She was taken to the hospital but died from her injuries.

A juvenile, whose name hasn't been released, was arrested and charged preliminarily with reckless homicide.

In the aftermath, several of Suggs' friends rushed to Facebook to write tributes. One called her "the sweetest person I know."

19. Samantha Robbins, 27, and 18. Derek Johnson, 28, on Dec. 19

A woman called 911 and said a "young child" was walking down the street near Marshall Avenue, telling neighbors his mother had been shot.

Police accompanied the child to his home at 1229 Lodge Ave. There, officers found two adults dead from gunshot wounds in a bedroom. In all, three kids had been in the home when the shooting occurred. They were unharmed.

The children later identified 29-year-old Arthur Lee Jones IV, whom they called "Uncle Art," as the alleged shooter, police said.

Jones was charged with two counts of murder and is currently awaiting trial. During a court appearance on Dec. 22, he maintained his innocence.

Johnson was a father of three children, while Robbins was a mother of two.

17. Trenton Gibson, 18, on Dec. 14

At first, the 911 caller thought it was a drug overdose.

But around 3:50 a.m., EPD officers responding to a report of an unconscious, barely breathing male on the ground in the 300 block of Cross Street realized Trenton Gibson had been shot.

He was transported to a local hospital, where he died from his injuries. An autopsy conducted by Vanderburgh County Coroner Steven Lockyear showed that Gibson died from a gunshot wound to his torso. No arrests have been made.

Gibson worked at Taco Bell and loved fishing, baseball, and hanging out with his friends, his obituary stated.

16. Olivia Huggler, 18, on Dec. 14

Police responded to a shots-fired call in the 800 block of Kirkwood Drive and found that three people had been shot. One of the victims, Olivia Huggler, later died from her injuries.

During an interview at the hospital, one of the victims reportedly told investigators they believed Daniel Lawrence Alvey, 18, was the shooter. They said they knew him from church and recognized his voice.

After Alvey was arrested, he reportedly told detectives that 25-year-old Samuel S. Huggler, Olivia Huggler's brother, hired him to kill someone at the residence.

Alvey was charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder, among other charges, while Samuel Huggler is charged with aiding, inducing or causing murder, as well as other felonies. Both men were charged with conspiracy to commit murder. They each pleaded not guilty and are currently awaiting trial.

Olivia Huggler loved to sing and play guitar, her obituary stated.

15. Melana Davis, 39, on Dec. 12

According to the probable cause affidavit, Carl Wayne Taylor Jr. called 911 around 1:50 a.m. He reportedly told dispatchers he had just run over his girlfriend with a car after she shot at him.

Davis was pronounced dead at the scene near the 4000 block of North First Avenue.

Taylor was charged with causing death when operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Level 4 felony, court records state. He could also face a habitual offender enhancement.

14. Rachael Feazell, 34, on Nov. 27

Shortly after 6 p.m., officers responded to a report that a woman had been shot in the 1000 block of West Iowa Street and that the male suspect had shot himself.

When officers arrived on scene, they found both Feazell and 46-year-old Ryan Hopkins dead from gunshot wounds.

Feazell's aunt, Connie Henry, knew her niece to be a loving mother to her 10-year-old daughter, Ashyln.

"She loved Ashlyn and Ashlyn loved her," Henry said. "At the end of the day every kid needs to be with their mother."

More: Evansville woman dropped ex-boyfriend's domestic battery charges. Then he killed her.

13. Kayla Marie Warner, 23, on Nov. 15

Officers responded to a report of an unresponsive woman in an apartment in the 3200 block of Vann Park Boulevard and found Warner stabbed to death. EPD detained and questioned a "person of interest," but released them.

12. Kamari Opperman, 3, on Oct. 27

Just after 8 a.m., Evansville fire and emergency responders went to a home on East Michigan Street after receiving a report of a baby not breathing.

They found Opperman lying dead on the couch. Police later learned the victim, along with other children, had ingested fentanyl pills left inside a nightstand at another house.

The surviving children were taken to the hospital. Two had to receive Narcan.

Six people in total were charged in Kamari's death, including her mother, Makaylee Opperman, and grandparents Amber and Brandon Opperman. Makaylee has been charged with murder, while Amber and Brandon face felony neglect charges.

Three others — Arcinial Watt, 33, Jazmynn Brown, 23, and Allison Smithler — were also charged with murder.

The children reportedly ingested the pills at a home at 3010 E. Sycamore St., where Brown, Smithler and Makaylee Opperman live. According to the affidavit in the case, detectives found more than 5,600 fentanyl pills inside the home.

Watt reportedly told investigators he brought the pills the kids ingested to the house.

Opperman's death isn't technically classified as a homicide by the EPD. Spokeswoman Sgt. Anna Gray said EPD uses homicide definitions from the FBI.

More: Police: Evansville child dies, 2 others given Narcan after ingesting fentanyl; 6 arrested

11. Carey Hammond, 46, and 10. Timothy Ivy, 50, on Oct. 19

Officers from multiple agencies responded to a home at 1801 Stinson Avenue around 11 p.m. for a "possible murder and kidnapping."

When officers attempted to coax people out of the residence, an adult male, later identified as Hammond, came out the front door brandishing what police thought was a weapon. Four EPD officers, along with members of the other agencies, shot at and killed the man.

It turned out Hammond had been holding a piece of plastic or metal twisted into the shape of gun. Police believe it was a case of "suicide by cop."

When police investigated inside the home, they found two adults, one male and one female, duct-taped to chairs. The male victim, Ivy, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police claim Hammond and his accomplice, Heidi Kathleen Carter, restrained both victims and beat and abused them for hours before Hammond choked the male victim to death with a belt.

Carter was charged with murder and has a jury trial set for June.

Ivy was a Central High School graduate with children and grandchildren.

EPD didn't list Hammond's death as a homicide.

9. Jonathan Stitts, 37, on Oct. 1

Just after 8 a.m., police responded to a shots-fired call in an apartment in the 1300 block of Parrett Street and found Stitts suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

First responders provided aid but the man died on scene. Samajui Devonta Barnes, 17, was arrested and charged with murder. Barnes has a jury trial set for April 11.

About a month later, 15-year-old Arkee Tyshown Coleman was also arrested and charged with murder. He was the youngest person charged in a homicide in the city in 2021.

8. Douglas Todd Fulkerson, 29, on Sept. 14

Officers were dispatched to the 1200 block of Marshall Avenue around 2 a.m. after nearby residents reported hearing gunshots and people screaming.

When officers arrived, they found Fulkerson lying in the street with a gunshot wound to the chest. He died on scene.

The man who shot Fulkerson, 28-year-old Richard Garrett, co-owner of Evansville 411 News, was arrested after police reportedly found drugs inside the home, but he did not face charges in the shooting. He claimed self-defense.

Dustin Fulkerson told the Courier & Press his brother "loved to work. And he put his kids first."

7. Patrick Levell Adams, 39, on July 10

Around 3:15 a.m., police responded to an assault-in-progress in the 1300 block of Florence Street.

Officers located an injured adult male lying on the street after having been run over by a car. Adams was taken to the hospital but died from his injuries.

Dylan Birdwell, 21, was arrested and charged with voluntary manslaughter and failure to remain at and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.

More: Evansville police affidavit outlines altercation leading up to deadly hit-and-run

6. Dashambe Ignacio Atkins, 25, on May 10

Atkins' death was the first in a string of incidents where police found victims shot to death inside cars.

Officers were called to the intersection of North First Avenue and West Virginia Street around 3:20 a.m. to investigate reports of shots fired. Arriving officers found a crashed car. Atkins was reportedly sitting in the driver's seat. He had been shot to death.

No arrests have been made in the case.

According to those who knew him, Atkins was a resolute father and a loyal friend.

"It doesn't matter what he was going through, he never put himself first," Atkins' friend said. "He was always putting the ones that he loved around him first. And he did that with anybody; it didn't matter if he didn't even know them."

More: 'Lost for words': Friends say shooting victim was loving father, hard worker

5. A'Jayden Ware, 19, on May 8

Around 2:45 a.m., officers were called to the area of Riverside Drive and Pollack Avenue after receiving several calls of shots fired.

Police found a car with a large amount of damage. The driver, Ware, had been shot several times. Ware was transported to the hospital but later died of his injuries.

The 19-year-old had aspirations of becoming an actor. He acted in local plays and musicals, including playing the role of the Tin Man in the Evansville African American Museum 2019 Summer Theatre Camp's rendition of "The Wiz Jr."

His aunt, Nakia Benson, called him a natural at the performing arts.

"It was very easy for him to know his lines," she said. I never even seen him really studying his lines, but he always had his lines,"

More: 'Good kid': Evansville shooting victim A'Jayden Ware had dreams of becoming an actor

4. Kielyn Toone, 19, on April 17

Officers were directed to the 1400 block of Judson Street where they found a crashed vehicle.

Toone was inside, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to the hospital by ambulance but eventually died. No one has been arrested in connection with the shooting.

Toone, a 2020 graduate from Bosse High, was a well-liked wide receiver for the Bulldogs. Bosse Athletics Director Tom Bealmear remembered him for his positive energy.

"He would go out of his way to say hello to me and high five. He had that kind of spirit around everybody. He lifted their spirits," Bealmear said. "He was positive. He was a good guy."

More: 'Breaking a lot of hearts': Bosse grad's shooting death remains under investigation

3. Timothy Adams, 28, on April 3

Officers responding to a shots-fired call at a home in the 500 block of South Bedford Avenue discovered an adult male shot to death.

Police later said Adams was part of an attempted burglary at the residence. Four others were arrested and charged in connection with the incident and are facing felony burglary charges.

One of the men, Biker Cox, is facing murder charges. He pleaded not guilty and has a jury trial set for March.

2. Donald Brigham Sr., 47, on March 18

Police found Brigham in the street in the 1400 block of Parrett Street, wounded from gunshots. He was transported to Deaconess Midtown Hospital and later died from his injuries.

No one has been arrested in the case.

1. Keshon Hensley, 23, on March 14

In the year's first homicide in Evansville, police responded to a report of a person down at the 2200 block of Sunburst Boulevard. They found Hensley dead from a gunshot wound.

No one has been arrested in his death.

According to his obituary, Hensley loved hip-hop, taking pictures, and the Houston Rockets.

Posey County

John Hall, 74, and Elizabeth Hall, 74, on Dec. 6

Mount Vernon police responded to a call at 727 Mulberry St. after a family member found John and Elizabeth Hall shot to death in their home.

Austin Kusturin, 28, was arrested and charged with murder after Indiana State Police investigators tracked the Halls' stolen phones to an area near Kusturin's residence. According to the affidavit in the case, a thumb print matching Kusturin's was found on one of the phones.

Kusturin, currently being held in jail without bond, has a jury trial set for July 6, according

According to their obituary, the Halls were married for 51 years. They leave behind three children, 11 grandchildren and more than 75 nieces and nephews.

Gibson County

Viola Clardy, 72, on Oct. 4

A family member found Clardy stabbed to death under a tarp near her home on Lyles Station Road.

Clardy's son, David Crowe, 47, was arrested and charged with murder. He sought an insanity defense, which Gibson Circuit Court approved. He has a pretrial conference set for Jan. 26, court records show.

According to her obituary, Clardy had four grandchildren and lived in Princeton her whole life.

Contact Ray Couture at rcouture@courierpress.com or on Twitter @raybc94

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Evansville crime: All the homicides reported in the area in 2021