On New Year’s Day 2024, Justin D. Boyd, a 45-year-old engineer with the Indianapolis Fire Department, was found dead with gunshot wounds in a crashed pickup truck near Michigan Road and Grandview Drive. He was discovered alongside 42-year-old Jasmine Ivy-Dede; both victims had sustained gunshot wounds.

Boyd, known as JB, had served about a decade on Ladder 6 B Shift. He co-owned Universal Barbershop, coached youth football, and was active in the Indianapolis Black Firefighters Association. Colleagues remembered him as compassionate and humorous; he is survived by a wife and two children.

Police arrested Boyd’s half-brother, 52-year-old Jason Lapsley, and charged him with two counts of murder. Authorities say Lapsley gave a confused account, claiming he awoke in the truck believing a carjacking was occurring and shot both victims; he reportedly called 911 and confessed to a family member. A jury trial was scheduled for March of the same year.

Did anyone in the Indianapolis community know Boyd, his work, or his activities around New Year’s Day?