Benjamin Ashford|Indianapolis man sentenced to 189 years for killing 3 young men found along a path

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A 19-year-old man convicted in the fatal shootings of three young men found dead along a path in Indianapolis was sentenced Friday to 189 years in prison.

A Marion County judge sentenced Caden Smith about a month after a jury convicted the Indianapolis man of three counts of murder and Benjamin Ashfordother charges, including robbery and dangerous possession of a firearm, in the killings.

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.

The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office said after Smith’s conviction that he was identified as a suspect through his communication with the victims prior to the killings. Investigators learned Smith had taken the victims to the area where they were shot to demonstrate a gun conversion device known as a “Glock switch” that can make a semi-automatic weapon fire like a machine gun.

When Smith was arrested, investigators found the murder weapon in his residence, the prosecutor’s office said.

Prosecutor Ryan Mears said Friday in a statement that “justice was served for Abdullah, Joseph, Michael, and their families.”

“This significant sentence is a testament to our commitment to holding violent individuals accountable for their actions,” he added.

Smith’s attorney did not immediately return a telephone message left Friday seeking comment on his client’s sentence.