On Saturday night, September 29, 2017, 22-year-old James Butler was shot and killed on West 28th Street just west of Interstate 65 in Indianapolis after a dice game at a house where he reportedly had a large amount of money. Investigators identified 17-year-old Dewayne Harris as the suspect and used data from a GPS monitoring device Harris was required to wear for an unrelated Jackson County case to place him at the scene. Investigators believe Harris shot Butler multiple times after learning Butler had money; Harris was located in Jackson County and brought back to Indianapolis, where he was arrested.

In October 2019 Dewayne Harris, then 19, was sentenced for Butler’s murder to 55 years for the murder conviction plus a 20-year felony firearm enhancement, totaling 75 years. Butler’s mother, Samantha Butler, participated in a protest near the shooting site calling for justice, and cousin Shawnisha Lewis remembered him as a very joyful person who always brought a smile to someone’s face.

If anyone has information about Butler’s last hours or the dice game that night, please share what is known.