On August 21, 1981, four-year-old Bertina Michelle Bell was among six family members killed in their Indianapolis home. Bertina and her three siblings, their mother, and their grandmother were found in the basement, the children laid in a row on a bed, each shot in the head.

The family’s father, King Edward Bell, was identified as the perpetrator and was arrested at the scene holding a shotgun. Neighbors described him as a religious fanatic; scrawled in chalk on a basement wall were the words Jesus take them all to heaven and a sign reading The family that prays together stays together. He also critically wounded the victims’ mother’s boyfriend and repeatedly begged police to kill him.

King Edward Bell was charged with six counts of murder and one count of attempted murder. His trial featured erratic behavior, multiple suicide attempts, a not guilty by reason of insanity plea, and requests for extensive mental competency testing, but he was ultimately found guilty.

If anyone knew the Bell family or remembers the neighborhood around that time, can any details about the family’s life or recent events be shared?