James Blancett, 77, was found dead in his Indianapolis west-side home on the morning of May 20, 2021. He was seated upright on his couch with a fatal gunshot wound to his abdomen; police described blood and towels soaked with blood in the kitchen. Blancett was reported as the city’s oldest homicide victim that year.

A 58-year-old roommate, Brenda Anderson, who had been living with Blancett about two weeks, was at the residence and directed officers to a semi-automatic pistol hidden in a laundry basket in the master bedroom. Investigators noted two pairs of shoes at Blancett’s feet. During questioning Anderson reportedly behaved erratically, gave largely incoherent statements, and said she experienced auditory hallucinations, a long history of illicit drug use, and possible dementia. Five days after the discovery, murder charges were filed against Anderson; she was taken for a mental health evaluation and was later arrested at Eskenazi Hospital for assaulting security staff.

What details about Blancett’s last days or the people who knew him might help explain what happened?