Family of public housing murder victim blames acquaintance in death

INDIANAPOLIS — Tyrisha Gray’s family thinks it knows who killed the 24-year-old mother of two at the 16 Park apartments this past weekend, leading to the discovery of her body in an abandoned unit.

But until IMPD names or arrests the suspect, that identification will have to remain confidential.

”She died from blunt force trauma,” said Tyran Washington, Tyrisha’s father. ”I don’t look at it anyway of being an accident.”

Tyrisha was the mother of two young daughters.

”She’s a great mother, that’s one thing about her,” said Washington. “That’s how we knew something was wrong because somebody had said to come get her kids and she’s been gone like four days, four or five days, and nobody heard from her and that’s not her, as far as the family, that’s not who she is.”

Washington said his daughter had not been seen since Feb. 12 when someone picked Tyrisha and her children up at the far eastside home of her grandmother.

A missing persons report was filed late Sunday afternoon just three hours before a family member found Tyrisha at the empty apartment in 1600 block of North Park Avenue where she was often taken to or dropped off with her children to hang out with others, said her father.

“Her sister had taken her over there, too, and that’s how they know, ’Lets look over her,’ and that’s how we get there.”

When the family member found Tyrisha’s body it was apparent she had been dead for several hours.

Early on Sunday morning, the family says someone had called an acquaintance to pick up Tyrisha’s children though the young mother was nowhere to be seen, ”but he brought the kids to the door,” said Washington.

The family said Tyrisha had a recent history of broken bones and bruises.

”She’s masking what’s going on when she come around us,” said Washington.

For years FOX59/CBS4 has documented that the apartment where Gray’s body was found has been empty, tagged with gang graffiti and damaged with broken windows. Neighbors told us they continually complained for more than three years to property managers and the Indianapolis Housing Agency that its public housing unit was inhabited by squatters, gang members and people who would party and play music. The unit was unlocked as neighbors watched trespassers come and go. The door stood open the morning after the killing, but following our story Monday afternoon, the unit has now been secured.