Domenik Briggs

On the afternoon of October 6, 2022, Domenik Briggs, a 30-year-old Black man, was at his home in South Bend, Indiana, with a number of other people. Around 12:40 p.m., police were called to the residence in the 700 block of West Indiana Avenue for a reported shooting. They found Briggs with a gunshot wound and rushed him to a hospital, but he did not survive. An autopsy later determined he had been shot in the back of the head.

The investigation, led by the South Bend Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit, quickly ran into difficulties. Although detectives had strong leads and knew that multiple people were present during the shooting, witnesses were uncooperative. Lt. Kayla Miller with Michiana Crime Stoppers later described the immense frustration for both investigators and Briggs’s family, knowing that friends and acquaintances who were there and had information were refusing to speak up. For more than a year, the case remained stalled due to this lack of cooperation.

A breakthrough finally came in early 2024 when new information led investigators to identify 18-year-old Marquis Duncan as a suspect. On January 22, 2024, the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office charged Duncan with murder. He was arrested the following month. According to court documents, Briggs had been involved in an argument with another man at the gathering when Duncan allegedly shot him from behind. Investigators believe the dispute was connected to a firearm that the man Briggs was arguing with had agreed to trade to Duncan weeks earlier.

The legal proceedings against Marquis Duncan, however, came to an unexpected halt. In February 2025, the murder charge was dismissed without prejudice. The dismissal was a result of prosecutors being unable to locate a crucial witness, despite searching for over a month. Under Indiana Criminal Rule 4, which sets speedy trial deadlines, the prosecution could not proceed without the witness. The decision was made after consulting with Briggs's family, who understood the circumstances.

Because the case was dismissed without prejudice, charges can be refiled in the future if the witness is found. As of February 2025, the murder of Domenik Briggs remains unsolved and the investigation is open. Anyone with information is asked to contact the South Bend Police Department at 574-235-9388 or Michiana Crime Stoppers at 574-288-STOP.