Sara Blackwood, 39, was shot while walking home from her shift at a Long John Silver’s in Indianapolis on the night of October 11, 2020. She was found on East Washington Street and taken to a nearby hospital, where she died after emergency surgery. Early reports misgendered her; friends and community members later corrected that record.Sara’s friends and co-workers described her as shy, kind, responsible, and a fan of anime. She had been in a long-term domestic partnership and was a visible member of the local LGBTQ+ community.

Her death occurred on National Coming Out Day and intensified fears in a community already grieving multiple violent losses.Investigators reviewed video from nearby businesses and identified Johnny Viverette Jr. as a suspect. He was arrested and charged with murder, felony murder, robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon after Sara’s purse, phone, and other belongings were reported missing. Viverette later pleaded guilty to murder and received a 55-year prison sentence, with 45 years to be served in the Indiana Department of Correction and two years of probation.

Did anyone who knew Sara or was in that area the night of October 11 have information that could add to the record?