Richard Alex Watkins, 31, was shot to death on the late evening of July 15, 2019, in the 200 block of East Main Street in his hometown of Wabash, Indiana. A gunshot was heard, and Watkins was found near the street with a fatal gunshot wound to his chest; shell casings were recovered near the scene. The Wabash County Coroner’s office ruled his death a homicide by firearm.

A 42-year-old Wabash man, Jerry Copeland, was taken into custody on unrelated drug charges the day after the shooting and was later identified in the homicide investigation. Copeland was formally charged with Watkins’ murder on August 26, 2019. On June 25, 2021, Copeland pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, a level 2 felony, and received a 30-year prison sentence.

Watkins was remembered locally for his love of sports and for coaching his son’s t-ball team. Does anyone in the Wabash community have information or memories to share about Richard or the night he was killed?