INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man is accused of shooting a Lyft driver multiple times before stealing his vehicle, buying new seat covers to hide the blood stains and then driving the dead man’s car to northern Indiana to attend a family function.
Devin Powell, 24, faces preliminary charges of murder and robbery in connection to the shooting death of 34-year-old Anthony Garland.
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers were dispatched to Indy’s west side near the Waterfront Pointe apartments — in the area of Waterfront Parkway W. Drive and Rolling Dunes Drive — at 6 a.m. on June 30. Firefighters had reportedly been responding to a run in the area and located a deceased man lying in a grassy area near the roadway.
The deceased, later identified as Garland, was found to have a gunshot wound to his head and several other gunshot wounds to his body. Police also found a bloody plastic glove, similar to ones used in food service, lying next to Garland’s body, court documents reveal.
Investigators later determined that Garland was a Lyft driver who had been reported missing by his wife the night before his body was found. Police were able to use vehicle information obtained by Lyft to track Garland’s missing white 2013 GMC Acadia to Merrillville.
Detectives in Merrillville detained Powell who had still been in possession of Garland’s vehicle.
Court documents reveal Powell originally told police he had been walking near Waterfront Parkway when he found the white Acadia running with the door open and no one inside. Powell told police he hopped in the car and drove away but only later learned a man was found dead near the car.
Detectives, however, knew that Powell had used his Lyft account to order a ride that Garland answered.
Powell then changed his story, court documents reveal, admitting to investigators he had used his Lyft account to call for a ride as well as admitting to shooting Garland. Powell, however, told police that Garland had tried to “screw him over and take his money” and that he had shot Garland after the driver turned around and tried to pull money from his hand. Powell called shooting Garland multiple times “self-defense,” according to the documents.
Powell then admitted to pulling Garland’s body out of the vehicle, dumping him in the grass and taking the Acadia. Powell, who lived in an apartment only 100 yards from the deadly shooting, then reportedly bought new seat covers for the Acadia, changed clothing, vacuumed up shell casings and used the vehicle to drive to a family function in Merrillville.
Police said there were still blood stains on the center console when detectives found the Acadia and arrested Powell.
