On the evening of Friday, August 14, 2015, 29-year-old Adam Wade Porter was shot and killed in the backyard of a West Buckeye Street residence in South Whitley, Indiana. Police found Porter deceased after responding to the scene. The homeowner, 62-year-old David Hagan, was identified as the person who shot Porter and told investigators he acted in self-defense. Court records note a history of animosity between the two men; on the night in question Hagan had been drinking, answered his door to find Porter holding a gun, and a struggle over the weapon ended with Porter shot in the head.

The Whitley County Prosecutor’s Office convened a grand jury to review the case. Hagan was released from custody during the investigation, then later charged with murder and reckless homicide. His jury trial began in May 2016 and resulted in a conviction for reckless homicide with a four-year sentence to the Indiana Department of Corrections. An appeal was upheld by the Indiana Court of Appeals in May 2017, and in August 2017 Porter’s family filed a civil lawsuit seeking compensation for their loss.

Anyone who knew Adam Porter or has information about the night of August 14, 2015 is asked to come forward.