Police: Alleged Grundy hit man 'unleashed a deadly barrage'

An alleged hit man who is accused of killing four people at the behest of a major Indianapolis drug trafficking leader is standing trial this week, marking one of the first cases to go to trial alleged to be connected to Richard Grundy III, who police say led a group that trafficked thousands of pounds of marijuana from Phoenix to Indianapolis.

John Means, 24, is charged with four counts of murder in connection with two double homicides in 2014. The case is going forward, even after prosecutors dropped the charges against Grundy that accused him of ordering the hits after a key witness failed to appear for depositions and gave a fake name.

Grundy still faces a slew of other drug charges.

Means is accused of killing William Davis, Tyrece Dorsey, Julius Douglas and Carlos Jefferson in two separate incidents. Davis and Dorsey were killed Jan. 28, 2014; Douglas and Jefferson were killed Feb. 1, 2014.

This week's jury trial focuses on the deaths of Douglas and Jefferson, who Marion County Deputy Prosecutor Ross Anderson introduced to the jury Monday with their respective nicknames: "Juju" and "Scooter."

Anderson then set the scene for jurors, explaining what court documents say happened as the two men sat in a white Dodge pickup truck that was parked in the 3400 block of North Hovey Street.

He said that two armed men, one of them being Means, approached the vehicle shortly before 1 a.m. on the day of the shooting. He said that Means then approached the passenger side of the car where Douglas was sitting.

Means then drew his weapon and "unleashed a deadly barrage" into the cab of the vehicle, Anderson said.

"Juju didn't stand a chance. He died almost instantly," Anderson told the jury. He then said that Means went to the front of the vehicle and opened fire again.

When the shooting was over, Douglas had been shot 19 times. Anderson said glass from the windshield and plastic for the dash were blasted into the victim like shrapnel.

Jefferson, whom Means shot twice, tried to get away but didn't get far, Anderson said. He was shot repeatedly by the other suspect. Means was arrested a short time later  following a high-speed police chase.

Anderson urged jurors to listen closely to the evidence in the case, including conversations Means had after his arrest. He is convinced that by the end, they will find Means guilty of both killings.

Means' attorney Christopher Eskew does not dispute the fact that Douglas and Jefferson were killed that night. He also does not dispute the fact that Means was involved in a chase with the police not long after the shooting was reported.

And like Anderson, he advised jurors to pay close attention to the facts of the case. He said they will be presented with only circumstantial evidence, and nothing that proves his client is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

"Phone calls, a couple letters and text messages. That's the entirely of their case," Eskew said. "No one really knows what happened that night on Hovey Street. They'll try and piece this together and ask you to look at things their way ... there is not going to be any direct evidence."

In October 2015,Marion County prosecutors charged Grundy and 10 associates with drug, conspiracy and gang charges, alleging Grundy led a violent ring of drug traffickers.

Court documents say investigators connected Means to Grundy through informants and communication records. An informant told police that Means was bragging about the hits in jail.

The case is among the first hurdles for Marion County prosecutors in the ongoing prosecution of Grundy and his associates.

Call IndyStar reporter Madeline Buckley at (317) 444-6083. Follow her on Twitter: @Mabuckley88.

11 people charged in 'violent' drug trafficking ring; 9 arrested so far