Police find 5 dead in rural Indiana
Relatives say four from one family
LAUREL, Ind. – A driver in rural Indiana made a startling discovery, finding a young girl walking in the road, alone.
But what police found at the 4-year-old’s home was even more disturbing: four people dead, at least some of them shot. A fifth person was dead on a nearby property.
The Indiana State Police said autopsies were done Monday on four of the five victims, and they didn’t plan to release the IDs until after the fifth autopsy is completed today.
“People who haven’t locked their doors in years, they’re definitely locking up tight now,” said Ryan Renfro, who lives nearby. “I actually took off work today because I’m here with my elderly grandparents and I didn’t want to leave them here alone until they caught who they are looking for.”
Sgt. Jerry Goodin, a spokesman for the Indiana State Police, did not say whether the shooter or shooters were believed to be among the deceased. He did say Monday that no manhunt was being conducted.
Although police weren’t releasing the names, people in this area, where many are related, talked about their relatives who had been killed. Those included four members of one family – a man, a woman and their two adult children – as well as a neighbor who had gone to visit a member of the household.
Jewel Compston said her son, Henry Smith, 43, left the house they share Sunday morning to go to the home where the four bodies were found.
“He never made it back,” she said, tearing up.
Smith’s aunt, Evelyn Renfro, lives nearby and said she heard shots around noon Sunday.
“Nobody went out because they were loading the cattle here and they didn’t pay no attention to that,” Renfro said.
Police wouldn’t comment on motive, but neighbors said they had complained about drug activity in the area.
Franklin County Sheriff Ken Murphy said his deputies have been to the address before but did not say whether drugs were involved.
Teresa Richardson said the home where the bodies were found belonged to Roy Napier. On Sunday, her sister Angie Napier was visiting Roy Napier and the couple’s daughter and son at the home, Richardson said. She said police called her Monday afternoon and confirmed the four dead inside the home were Angie Napier, Roy Napier, daughter Melissa Napier and son Jacob Napier.