Raymond Ronald Lee Childs III, now 19, was convicted in October 2024 for the brutal murders of his family, a crime that investigators say stemmed from his parents’ refusal to let him stay overnight at his girlfriend’s house.
In January 2021, when Childs was 17, his parents confronted him about violating house rules and denied his request to sleep at his girlfriend’s, leading to a heated argument, Law & Crime reports. Enraged, Childs retrieved a firearm and proceeded to kill six family members in their Indianapolis home.
Prosecutors argued that he systematically moved through his Indianapolis home, killing his parents, Raymond and Kizzie Childs; his 18-year-old brother, Elijah; his 13-year-old sister, Rita; Elijah’s pregnant girlfriend, Kiara Hawkins; and her unborn child.
From the probable cause affidavit:
“At that point he (the father) heard two gunshots. His father got out of bed, ran to the stairs, and said “what was that?” He then heard his sister R.C. (Rita Childs) say “Raymond shot Elijah!” Another gunshot went off, and he heard his dad say “I’m sorry Raymond, I love you.”
The only survivor was his then-15-year-old brother, who managed to escape despite being shot twice.
The case initially resulted in a mistrial earlier in 2024, as a witness inadvertently asked Childs why he had committed the murders, prompting the judge to halt proceedings. In his retrial, Childs was found guilty of six counts of murder and faces the possibility of life imprisonment without parole. His sentencing is set for early January 2025.
Kiara Hawkins’ mother, Roniqua Hawkins, shared her relief at the verdict, saying, “To see him behind bars for the rest of his life, that would be justice served for me,” WISH-TV reports.