A homeless man is in jail on charges of murder and attempted murder following a pair of attacks outside the Indiana State Government Building in downtown Indianapolis during the last two weeks that killed one man and left another in serious condition.
On June 20, an adult male victim was reportedly transported to the hospital in critical condition for what officials believed to be a medical issue. The man was apparently discovered at 6 a.m. on N. Senate Avenue, with several injuries from what was later determined to be an assault.
Indiana State Police were notified of the event on June 23 and launched an investigation into the alleged assault. After reviewing neighboring security footage, it was determined that a “physical attack” occurred around 2 a.m. on June 19 between the State House and the Government Center.
Court filings describe how a suspect reportedly stepped on the man “at least 15 times” over the span of 60 seconds while he lay on the ground. When the victim arrived at the hospital, he had several head injuries and showed no signs of brain activity.
On Sunday, June 28, the victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
While detectives investigated the assault, Capitol Police responded to a second attack at the same place. In the second incident, which occurred shortly after 2 a.m. on June 26, a victim was beaten and transported to the hospital in critical condition with many face fractures.
After reviewing the video evidence from the second incident, it was found that a man approached the victim and began kicking and stomping on him. Again, the assault consisted of “at least 17” stomps and lasted around one minute. Detectives decided that it was the same mysterious suspect.
“By all indications, what we can see on video, these were unprovoked attacks,” said ISP Sgt. John Perrine. “These victims were asleep on the sidewalk and were attacked by this man.”
After cops in the area were given images of the suspect, a guy named Michael Willis was discovered on June 26 and arrested in the 100 block of N. New Jersey Street with the assistance of an off-duty Greensboro Police Department officer.
Willis reportedly approached the officer and asked to use his phone. Court filings describe how the officer, who was in uniform, recognized the suspect and contacted the IMPD.
Willis was apparently wearing the same clothes as the suspect in the assaults, and court documents show that he had blood on both of his socks. During an interview with police, Willis stated that he had been homeless for the past eight months and was staying in downtown Indianapolis.
When questioned about the assaults, Willis said that he had strolled past both victims in the middle of the night and noticed they had been beaten up, prompting him to “nudge” them with his foot. He then confessed to “stomping” on both victims because he was “buzzed” and annoyed by his loneliness and lack of friendship.
“I did it, I did it while I was frustrated,” Willis admitted, adding that it was “too extreme.” “I’m not gonna say I’m uninvolved or anything, so you got me, I’m your guy.”
When asked about his motivation, Willis “indicated there was a level of emptiness and frustration because many of the homeless people he encountered would ask him for help, but he would not receive any help in return.”
“We have the person we believe responsible for these crimes in custody,” Perrine stated. “We don’t believe there’s any ongoing concern or risk in downtown, but we’re reminding people to stay vigilant.”
Willis was brought into Marion County Jail on Friday and charged with both alleged assaults. He is presently being held without bond pending formal charges from the prosecutor’s office.
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