Thomas M. Pleasant Jr. was a man with a "go getter" spirit and a heart that, while residing in Bloomington, Indiana, remained deeply connected to the nearby city of Seymour. Born on February 5, 1992, in Bedford, Indiana, the 28-year-old was a father, an entrepreneur, and a cherished son and brother. Known for his wonderful sense of humor, Thomas was an outgoing man who could sell anything and adapt to any environment. He channeled his entrepreneurial drive into his own business, Tom's Green Cleaning. His family remembers him as someone who often put others before himself and loved his children, Chloe and Kaven, more than anything. A Christian by faith, Thomas enjoyed traveling, watching Netflix, and playing video games, but his greatest joy was making people happy.
The peace of a summer night was irrevocably broken on the evening of Wednesday, July 22, 2020. At approximately 11:25 p.m., the Bloomington Police Department received a distressing call reporting that a man had been shot in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 3200 block of South Walnut Springs Drive. The caller stated the man was lying in a pool of blood and appeared to be unresponsive. Officers rushed to the scene and found Thomas M. Pleasant Jr. with a single, critical gunshot wound to his neck. They immediately began administering CPR, fighting to keep him alive until emergency medical services arrived.
Thomas was swiftly transported by ambulance to IU Health-Bloomington Hospital. Despite the urgent efforts of police and medical personnel, the injury was too severe. Just after midnight, in the early moments of Thursday, July 23, 2020, Thomas was pronounced dead at the age of 28. His death was officially ruled a homicide, launching an intensive investigation by the Bloomington Police Department. Detectives began the meticulous work of processing the crime scene for evidence and canvassing the area for anyone who might have witnessed the shooting or the events leading up to it.
In the days following the murder, Thomas's loved ones gathered to mourn their profound loss. His funeral service was held on August 3, 2020, at Woodlawn Family Funeral Centre, conducted by his grandfather, Rev. David Ard. He was survived by his mother and stepfather, Charity and Mark Andersen; his fiancée, Maiko Cain; his two children; and four siblings. He was preceded in death by his father, Thomas M. Pleasant Sr. A GoFundMe campaign was organized to help his family with funeral expenses. The family's grief was compounded by the lack of answers surrounding his violent and sudden death.
The investigation into who killed Thomas Pleasant Jr. and why has proven to be incredibly challenging for law enforcement. In the years since the shooting, the Bloomington Police Department has continued its investigation, but progress has been elusive. Detectives have been attempting to locate and interview potential witnesses, but no significant leads have been made public. There has been no information released about a possible motive for the shooting, and no suspects have ever been publicly identified or arrested in connection with the crime.
As of late 2023, the case remains an open and active homicide investigation. The silence in the case is a heavy burden for a family still seeking justice and a community left with unanswered questions. The memory of a man known for his humor, his ambition, and his love for his children endures, but so does the pain of his unsolved murder. The Bloomington Police Department continues to seek any information that could help them bring closure to Thomas Pleasant Jr.'s loved ones.
