Caden Smith, now 19, was found guilty on Friday of three counts of murder, robbery, possession of a machine gun, and possession of methamphetamine, among other charges, according to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.
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Smith, was 16 in October 2021 when a police officer found Joseph Thomas, 18, Michael James, 22, and Abdulla Mubarak, 17, shot to death on a path lined by tall grasses on Indianapolis’ south side. He was charged as an adult in the killings in November 2021.
The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office said Monday in a statement that Smith was identified as a suspect through his communication with the three victims prior to their killings.
Text messages indicated that Smith lured the victims to the field over two nights to demonstrate how a Glock switch, which converts the firearm into a machine gun, works. Prosecutors said Smith used the demonstration as an opportunity to murder the men and rob them. Detectives later the murder weapon at Smith’s home
