On the morning of February 8, 2026, firefighters extinguished a vehicle fire in the 800 block of West 29th Street in Indianapolis and found the body of 56-year-old Michael C. Lockridge inside a charred Honda Civic. The Marion County Coroner determined Lockridge had been shot in the head and did not die from the fire; his death was ruled a homicide and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department opened an investigation.

Friends and family described Lockridge as kind and gentle and said he was non-confrontational. He was last seen alive around 7 p.m. on February 7, 2026. No suspects or arrests have been publicly identified and the motive remains unclear.

If anyone saw Michael or that Honda Civic between the evening of February 7 and the early hours of February 8, or has information about the vehicle fire, please share what is known with investigators.