John Randolph Bonilla Jr., 44, was found dead in a room he rented in the 2200 block of North Illinois Street in Indianapolis on the morning of December 14, 2023. Police discovered him before 11 a.m. with evident trauma; medics pronounced him dead at the scene. The Marion County Coroner’s Office later confirmed the cause of death as gunshot wounds, including a shot to the head, and ruled the death a homicide.

Family members remember Bonilla as a loving, giving man. His sister, Appolonia, said the family’s grief is intensified by recent losses of both parents. Appolonia has suggested investigators consider two people she says had prior conflicts with John: a former tenant of a building he managed who allegedly made threats over a damaged apartment and a security deposit, and a woman with whom he had a tumultuous relationship who reportedly had threatened and physically harmed him in the past. The case remains unresolved.

If anyone knew John, saw him in north Indianapolis in December 2023, or has information about those mentioned, please share what you know with investigators.