AMERICA—The two people being accused of killing Chris Beaty, a former Indiana University football player who competed for the Hoosiers, were arrested on August 14, more than two months after the murder occurred.
Alijah Jones and Marcus Anderson, both 23, will be facing charges of armed robbery after being caught on surveillance footage robbing a woman in a parking garage in downtown Indianapolis while holding her up at gunpoint.
According to a July 21 court filing, Jones was listed as a witness or suspect in the slaying of Beaty by the Marion County’s deputy prosecutor. A warrant was issued right before Jones was arrested on August 13. Anderson had been arrested with a warrant on August 7 during a traffic stop.
At first, authorities investigating the shooting assumed the 38-year-old Beaty had been killed while taking part in protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
After the shooting initially went unsolved, several of Beaty’s friends did their own investigation, and they discovered pertinent information. They went to the scene of the crime, where they discovered that Beaty was shot while attempting to protect two women from being additional victims of the alleged robbing spree at the hands of Jones and Anderson.
Beaty, who grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, was a football star at Cathedral High School before joining Indiana University. He went on to become a very successful businessman, managing popular night clubs and sponsoring sporting events, among other businesses.
His former coach, Tom Allen, recounted his relationship with his former player. “He was one of our first alumni that displayed his unwavering support for what we are building here at Indiana and how we are building it. I am so heartbroken for his family and he will be deeply missed by all those that were blessed to call him a friend!”
Beaty’s family also stated, in part, “We encourage everyone to live like Chris – to love others boldly, to stand up for what’s right, to live every day to the fullest. #LiveLikeChris”
