I am Kolleen, Kasey Schoen's sister. I am petitioning to demand that the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office along with the Conviction Integrity Unit, take back this case from IMPD  and give the case to the Indiana State Police, or the FBI to reopen & actually reinvestigate. Beginning 2021 Marion County's new CIU in conjunction with the San Francisco Racial Justice Clinic investgated the original case & all leads they could find, leading to the exoneration of Leon Benson. He had been wrongfully convicted in 1999, 11 short months after Kasey's murder.  IMPD cold case unit was handed this case after a judge ruled police misconduct leading to a Brady Violation, as well as not investigating eyewitnesses from the original murder investigation.  IMPD closed the case without ever reinvestigating any of the case load presented to the courts, after an exoneration & wrongful conviction. After I learned of the police misconduct, a Sgt. told me 'the prosecutor's let the real murderer go, for whatever reason.'  

Kasey was the baby of our family. There were 5 boys & me, I was 7 when he was born so he was like my real life baby. Kasey was only 25 when he  was shot 3 times while sitting in his pickup truck, with his foot on the brake & still in drive mode. The murderer  walked to the back of the pickup, turned around, walked back to the cab of the pickup and fired 2 more shots through the passenger window. Kasey was facing forward, not looking at the shooter. 2 of the shots were kill shots. Kasey died all alone & I am positive he was terrified.

The murder happened Aug 8, 1998, in downtown Indianapolis at approximately 3:45am and it was a light mist/drizzle. The case depended on a cross racial identification from an eyewitness that incorrectly picked the wrong person out of a picture line up, which didn't match the original description given in her 911 call. I dont blame this person, they did the best they could given the circumstances. I now know better how the mind works in traumatic circumstances like a murder.  The shock and trauma, the adrenaline can all play tricks with our brains. As much as we try to remember specifics, those little pieces can be unknowingly manipulated with pictures & opinions.

The original murder case was hastily prosecuted and an innocent man ended up being wrongfully convicted in July 1999. We had 2 trials, with the first trial ending in a mistrial in May 1999. A meer 11 months after the murder Leon Benson, an innocent man, was falsely convicted and spent 25 in prison before being exonerated. There was police misconduct, including withholding evidence & eyewitness testimonies from other police officers as well as other witnesses on the street. Despite this, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) has made no effort to reopen my brother's case and bring his real killer, Joseph Webster, to justice. 

My brother was not just a victim of homicide; he was also a victim of homophobia. He was in fact murdered because he was gay. Kasey had been living as a gay man in private, but his murder outed him publicly and added another layer of tragedy to our family's loss. 

Joseph Webster  was 17yo at the time, he was known from the beginning was brought in for questioning, lawyered up & wasn't questioned again. He had been arrested 2 weeks prior with a .380 which is what was used to kill Kasey, as well as numerous packets containing a white powdery substance. His girlfriend reported said gun stolen less than a week after the murder.  He is still  free after all of these years, knowing an innocent man was doing his time.  He continued his life of crime - selling drugs, abusing family members. He even serving as an FBI informant ratting on 2 at least 2 members of the Grundy crew, one of Indianapolis' major crime families. He has said he was brought in for questioning  about Kasey's murder 4 or 5 times. IMPD still says he lawyered up immediately.  He began being a Confidential Informant in 1998,  before he murdered Kasey.

This is not just about reopening one cold case; it's about addressing systemic issues within our flawed justice system that allows murderers to walk free while innocent people suffer behind bars. It's about making sure that every victim gets their due justice regardless of their sexual orientation or the time passed since their demise.

We urge you all - citizens and residents alike - to join us in demanding that IMPD reopen my brother, Kasey Schoen's, murder case and conduct a thorough investigation into these serious allegations against them. Let us ensure that no more families have to endure what we, the Schoen family as well as the Benson family, have gone through for the past 25 years  Both of our families were deeply affected by the incompetence of the investigation by IMPD & we all deserve true justice!! 

Please sign this petition today – let’s 'finally' get justice for my brother Kasey.