Seven homicides in Lafayette during 2023

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Seven people died from homicides in Lafayette during 2023.

West Lafayette police and the Tippecanoe County Sheriff's Office did not respond to any homicides in their jurisdictions.

New Year Day killing

The year began with an ominous tone.

Anthony Holdbrook, 18, was gunned down in the 800 block of North Seventh Street about 11:50 p.m. Jan. 1.

More than four months later, four adults and one juvenile have been arrested on suspicion of murder in Holdbrook's killing.

Holdbrook wanted to swap his sidearm and some cash for a Glock pistol that Amarion Alsup, 19, of Kokomo, said he was selling, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors said Alsup, Bailey Hensley, Dimanione Lovelace, Shae Ann Martin, and a 15-year-old boy, drove to Lafayette to sell the gun, which prosecutors said was stolen earlier that day in a crime spree led by Alsup.

Alsup and another person in the car began talking with Holdbrook, Alsup grabbed Holdbrooks' sidearm, and he said, "Don't do that," according to prosecutors.

That's when shots were fired from the car, striking Holdbrook. The car drove away, leaving Holdbrook dying in the street.

Killing on New London Court

Michael McCord of Rockford, Illinois, died early Feb. 5 from multiple gunshots fired about 1:45 a.m. Feb. 5 in front of 3135 New London Court in Bay Pointe Apartments.

McCord's blood fell onto the parked VW car, its wheels, and a trail of blood led west to the parking lot in front of building 3071 Pheasant Run Drive, where a pool of dried blood could be seen later that morning.

“I heard some gunfire. It came from that direction,” a Pheasant Run Apartment neighbor said, pointing to the Bay Pointe Apartments just east of his apartment building. "Ten to 12 gunshots just before 1 (o'clock).

“Part of the crime scene ended up over here,” he said, pointing to the parking lot.

The origins of the homicide might have started about an hour earlier at Cupcakes and Carots, a party-planning/party-hosting business on State Street east of Earl Avenue. There was a drive-by shooting there before McCord's killing, and investigators told other business owners in the small strip mall that the motive for McCord's killing might have started in that drive-by assault.

Mother kills daughter, then herself

Tracy Bondurant, 43, shot her 5-year-old daughter, Rayleigh Bloyd, the afternoon of July 27 inside her house in the 100 block of Kinkaid Drive, then Bondurant shot herself in the head, according to autopsy results.

Police found Bondurant and Bloyd dead when they arrived.

A day after the murder/suicide

Thirty-four-year-old Montrell Jolly beat his 4-year-old cousin, Ké andre Jolly, to death because the boy put his shoes on the wrong feet, according to prosecutors.

Ké andre died Aug. 1 at Riley's Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, and police arrested Montrell Jolly on July 31.

Four days before Ké andre died — on July 28 — police were called to the 800 block of North 13th Street to investigate an unconscious child. Ké andre was found soaking wet on the floor inside the apartment, according to police.

Montrell Jolly told police he was disciplining Ké andre by making him do wall sits, which Montrell Jolly described as having Ké andre put his back against the wall while sitting in a squat position without a chair underneath him, according to prosecutors.

Ké andre died from blunt force injuries to his head, according to prosecutors, who cited the autopsy results. But Ké andre had bruises, cuts internally and externally on his body that indicated the boy had been beaten, according to prosecutors, who charged Montrell Jolly with murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in catastrophic injury, aggravated battery and battery resulting in death to a person younger than 14 years old

Drug deal gone bad

Jordan Loveall agreed to sell marijuana to David Trevino, 21, of Friona, Texas, and Adrian Suarez, 23, of Harford, Texas, late Aug. 4 at his house in the 2000 block of Roosevelt Avenue, according to prosecutors.

Unbeknownst to Loveall, Trevino and Suarez planned to rob him of his pot, according to prosecutors.

What followed was a shootout in Loveall's drive, leaving Loveall dead and Trevino and Suarez jailed awaiting trial trial on charges of murder and robbery.

Both men are scheduled for trial in February.

Man killed in his car on North 12th Street

As many as 10 gunshots pierced the early morning stillness Saturday, Sept. 23, in the 1100 block of North 12th Street, and when the shooting was done, George Derment Jr. lie motionless and near death inside his car, according to police and witnesses.

A neighbor said Derment was in a southbound Nissan parked in the middle of the 1100 block of North 12th Street, and the suspect, Wallace Smith III, was in a BMW parked northbound, blocking the alley and nearly in front of Smith's house.

Prosecutors charged Smith with murder and pointing a firearm. His trial is scheduled for the end of January, according to online court records.

Man killed inside his New York Street apartment

here wasn't a whole lot of things going right in the life of 50-year-old Glenn Knarr, who was stabbed to death just before 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, in the 500 block of New York Street, according to neighbors, police and court records.

Knarr and his wife, Jessica Knarr, were evicted from their apartment on New York Street on Oct. 31 and had until Wednesday to evacuate their home, according to court records.

The eviction might have been part of the couple's strife, which neighbors described as consistent and loud, but not violent.

Jessica Knarr was receiving text messages Saturday morning from Rick Kite, 65, the man suspected of killing Glenn Knarr, and the man whom Glenn Knarr battered in May.

Glenn Knarr saw the messages on Jessica Knarr's phone that Saturday morning, according to prosecutors. He began arguing with Kite via the text messages, and Kite wrote he would kill Knarr, according to the probable cause affidavit filed in the case.

Jessica Knarr told police she heard her husband talking with someone in the front room of the apartment in the 500 block of New York Street, and she saw Kite in that room with a knife, according to prosecutors, who stated that Jessica Knarr witnessed the fatal stabbing.

Kite's trial is scheduled for March 19.

Seven homicides is above average

Homicides, defined as one person taking another person's life, have varied over the past six years, ranging between eight in 2020 and four in 2018.

Seven people killed in 2023 is not out of line with the six previous years, but it is higher than average.

In 2018, three of the four homicides were determined to be self defense.

In 2020, when eight people were killed, three of those homicides were self defense.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: 7 homicides in Lafayette during 2023; none in West Lafayette or county