UPDATE: The victim has been identified as 74-year-old Bobbie Gene Hill. The Marion County Coroner’s Office said he died from possible multiple sharp force injuries. The original story is below.
LAWRENCE, Ind. — A man was arrested Saturday by Lawrence Police for stabbing his stepfather to death, sources tell FOX59.
Officers were called Saturday morning to the 12500 block of Teacup Way in Lawrence on reports of a family altercation, LPD said. Upon arrival they said they found a man with stab wounds and took him to an area hospital where he later died.
Neighbors identified the man who police said was arrested on a preliminary charge of murder as the victim’s stepson.
“This morning, my husband and I woke up, and there was a guy that just didn’t look familiar walking through the backyard with a knife,” neighbor Helen Lancaster said. “He stood out here behind the car with his hands up for about 10 minutes before the police arrived.”
Lawrence Police did not release a motive for the killing, but officials said this was a contained incident.
“This is very much an isolated incident within family members that had a family altercation that resulted in a very significant and serious tragedy,” LPD Chief Gary Woodruff said.
Tammy Bible, who lives nearby, said she was devastated by the news of what happened. She described the victim as a nice, retired man who watched out for the neighborhood.
“Just being a good neighbor. Always looking out for me,” Bible said. “There’s one time I came home he had plowed my driveway. Always looking out for me and just a lot of the neighbors.”
Even neighbors like Lancaster, who said she recently moved to the neighborhood, knew of the victim’s generosity and was shocked at what happened to him.
“He cuts everybody’s grass around here. He’s an amazing neighbor. He’s very nice, very approachable,” Lancaster said. “Everybody is just in shock. Everyone is just in shock and disbelief that it would happen and especially to him.”
This is the second homicide the city of Lawrence has seen this year. It will be up to the Marion County Prosecutor’s office to file formal criminal charges.
