Man convicted of murder, 22 other counts for role in violent Indy crime spree that left 18 victims, 3 dead
Oct 29, 2024
FISHERS, Ind. -- A man has been convicted of murder and several other felonies after being found guilty for his role in a seven-day crime spree involving shootings, armed robberies, a carjacking and a deadly hit-and-run in 2019.
The Marion County Prosecutor's Office announced Tuesday that Richard Garrett was convicted of several felony counts following the conclusion of a six-day trial that began on Oct. 21.
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Garrett was ultimately found guilty of the following counts:
Murder
Reckless Homicide
Conspiracy to Commit Murder (Level 2 Felony)
Robbery Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury (Level 2 Felony)
Three counts of Criminal Recklessness (Level 5 Felonies)
Criminal Recklessness (Level 6 Felonies)
Seven counts of Battery by Means of a Deadly Weapon (Level 5 Felonies)
Two counts of Aggravated Battery (Level 3 Felony)
Armed Robbery (Level 3 Felony)
Four counts of Carrying a Handgun Without a License (Class A Misdemeanors)
This represented the second occasion that Garrett was tried in court. A mistrial was declared on Oct. 4, 2023, after MCPO said Garrett allegedly struck his attorney while in court.
Richard Garrett
In addition to the 23 charges he faced in Marion County, Garett faced an extra 14 counts in Hamilton County for his role in a high-speed chase that ended with him fatally shooting a police K9 before being apprehended. Garrett pled guilty to four of the 14 counts and received a six-year sentence.
At one point during the chase, Garrett tried to break into two homes before shooting the K9 at point-blank range.
Garrett wasn't the only individual to be tried for the violent crime spree across Indianapolis and Fishers, as Delance Hatcher and Rashaana Farrow were also charged for their involvement in the crime spree that resulted in nine people being shot and three deaths.
Farrow pled guilty to a level 2 felony of conspiracy to commit murder and is currently in the process of serving a 30-year sentence. Meanwhile, Hatcher was sentenced to serve 65 years in prison.
MCPO said the trio participated in numerous shootings, robberies and carjackings between Oct. 13 and Oct. 20. One of these incidents involved the fatal hit-and-run of Anthony Mack on Tacoma Avenue and the murder of Devon Gillespie, according to MCPO.
Previous reports indicate Gillespie was killed on Oct. 16 at an apartment in the 3400 block of N. Sherman Avenue during an armed robbery.
Hatcher was apprehended and brought into custody on Oct. 17. When police initially detained him, they reportedly found ammunition and a firearm.
Garrett and Farrow were taken into custody the following month on Nov. 12, 2019, in Fishers. Garrett was found to also have a .45 mm handgun in his possession when he was arrested following a high-speed police chase.
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MCPO said investigators managed to connect Garrett and Hatcher to the multiple crime scenes after finding a match between the shell casings and the firearms each was found carrying at the time of their arrests.
Detectives also reviewed cell phone record logs which helped them determine that Garrett and Hatcher were at the scenes of the incidents.
“I commend law enforcement and our trial team for their meticulous work in presenting a compelling case to the jury on behalf of the victims,” said Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears. “More than five years after these tragedies, we are proud to have secured justice for Devon Gillespie, Anthony Mack, and the other victims whose lives have been affected by the senseless actions of the defendants.”