An Indiana man who was 16 when he murdered three people while he was showing them how to turn a Glock into a machine gun will spend the rest of his life in prison after he was given a 189-year sentence this week.
Caden Smith, now 19, learned his fate on Friday in the deaths of Abdulla Mubarak, 17, Joseph Thomas, 18 and Michael James, 22.
“Once again, the sale of unregulated firearms led to the tragic deaths of three innocent people,” Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said in a statement. “This significant sentence is a testament to our commitment to holding violent individuals accountable for their actions. We are grateful for today’s announcement and thanks to the dedication of our deputy prosecutors and the investigators, justice was served for Abdullah, Joseph, Michael, and their families.”
As Law&Crime previously reported, the triple slayings occurred around Oct. 12, 2021.
An officer with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department found the three men dead from gunshot wounds on a path filled with tall grass near the 4400 block of South Meridian Street. Investigators recovered several spent shell casings at the scene.