Clothing sale leads to man’s murder in Indy

INDIANAPOLIS — An online clothing sale led to a robbery and murder on Indy’s near northeast side. Newly released court records reveal the victim lost his life while visiting from another state.

On the day of the shooting, March 6th, the victim and his fiancée met with the suspect at a Subway on 38th Street, but the violence didn’t take place there. Instead, the victim then got in his car and followed the suspect to a nearby neighborhood.

The shooting occurred in the 1600 block of Ingram Street on March 6 just after 3 p.m. A neighbor previously said she’d heard shots outside her front door and peeked out her window to see a stranger bleeding to death in her yard.

“For somebody to get shot, that I don’t even know, right at my door is kind of devastating to see someone die,” said the witness.

Police now believe that victim, Kerwin Pollard, drove to Indy from Elgin, Illinois with his fiancée. That woman told detectives the pair would travel the Midwest selling clothing items on OfferUp.

After meeting at the Subway, two men told the victims they needed to go to Ingram street to get some money. Yet the affidavit claims after Pollard began showing the suspects clothes, he was shot and his car was stolen.

The stolen car was tracked down via OnStar, but all the clothes inside several totes, which are estimated to be worth about $10,000, were gone.

Court records claim Julius Thomas’s girlfriend’s car was used to meet the victims.  That car was also tracked down by police. Thomas is being held on preliminary charges of murder and robbery.

Some of the stolen clothing was also found and cell phone records confirm the suspect and victim were in the same place at the same time that day. “Be careful. We don’t want to tell people not to engage in e-commerce. That’s the way of 2022 is to sell things online, but be safe,” said IMPD Lt. Shane Foley.

In recent years, IMPD set up e-commerce safe zones at each of their six district headquarters buildings.

Those locations include:

• 3120 E. 30th Street
• 201 N. Shadeland Avenue
• 1150 S. Shelby Street
• 551 N. King Street
• 3821 Industrial Boulevard
• 39 W. Jackson Place Suite 500

“We encourage people to meet at our roll call locations. If they don’t want to meet there, meet at an area that has high visibility,” said Foley.

Thomas allegedly told his girlfriend a second suspect actually did the shooting and fled the state. Police would only confirm they’re still trying to find if anyone else is connected to the case.

Anyone with information about this incident should contact Detective Erika Jones at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317.327.3475 or e-mail her at [email protected].

Thomas is due in court for an initial hearing on Thursday. He’s being held without bond in the Marion County jail.