Indianapolis man found guilty of woman’s murder in 2016
An Indianapolis man was found guilty in a bench trial for murdering a woman who had a history of domestic violence with him, Marion County prosecutors said Thursday.
Joshua Farris, 43, was found guilty Tuesday of the murder of Jeannie Howard. Her body was found June 24, 2016, on a bridge in the 10900 block of East Troy Avenue, between Kitley and Davis roads on the southeast side.
A prior domestic violence incident filed between Howard and Farris identified him as an initial suspect in the investigation, a news release from the prosecutor’s office said. On the night of the murder, witnesses said the two had been dropped off at Farris’ trailer after attending a barbeque.
During the execution of a search warrant for Farris’ home, blood was discovered in several locations, including the bedroom and hallway to the backdoor. A witness confirmed that Farris had fled the home in his mother’s car the night of the murder. Additionally, blood was discovered in that vehicle, which was parked in a public lot about 3 miles east of the crime scene. Fingerprints on a bottle of antifreeze near the body were confirmed to be those of Farris.
The autopsy of Howard revealed the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head.
In September 2016, the U.S. Marshals Service found Farris living in a tent in a homeless camp behind a Walmart in Ocala, Florida. He was later extradited to Marion County.
His sentencing is been set for 10 a.m. May 18 at 10 a.m. in Marion Superior Court, Criminal Division 1.
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