The deadly shooting of a couple remains unsolved
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — We were connected by a phone call. Through our conversation, I could clearly hear her pain.
There were times during our talks where I could visibly feel Shannon Downey smile as she talked about her daughter Jessica Downey.
“She is as amazing she was beautiful, smart, talented very giving person she liked to help others she graduated 16th in her class,” said Downey.
The reason Jessica was referred to in the past tense dates back to Nov. 23, 2016.
On that date, police were dispatched to a car accident near 25th and Adams streets. Officers found Downey leaning over the steering wheel. Officers quickly realized that this was no accident. Downey had been shot.
Crews rushed Downey to Methodist Hospital, but she wouldn’t survive her injuries.
Just two hours after finding Downey, a neighbor stepped outside and noticed another body in the alley near 25th and Oxford streets.
Police arrived and identified the body as Evans Johnson. The 20-year-old was shot multiple times.
Evans and Jessica were a couple and they shared a child together. Detectives didn’t release much initially on what happened to the two.
Weeks later though detectives would release more this after surveillance video surfaced of Evans and two other people walking down a dark alley near 25th Street. The three walk out of frame of the cameras. Suddenly, two enter back into frame without Evans. The two unknown people are running, and they run right out of the frame of the cameras.
Detectives want to identify the two people who police are calling persons of interest. It is believed the two have information on who killed Jessica and Evans.
“I’m praying that justice will be served and the people are caught, so they can’t do that to anyone else,” said Downey.
News 8 made attempts to reach out to Evans family but we were unsuccessful before the release of this article.
Downey says Jessica’s organs were donated so she can give life to others. Now two families wait for answers.
“Our family feels the pain every day we wake up, the world is not the same without her,” said Downey.
If you have any information in this investigation, you can call Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477 and your tip will remain anonymous. You can also call IMPD’s homicide office at 317-327-3475.
