A Marion County judge sentenced 22-year-old Kaeden Douglas to 55 years in prison on Friday for the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Jereme Dillingham outside the Mucky Duck Pub on Indianapolis’ south side, bringing the case to a close after jurors rejected his claim of self-defense just weeks before. In Marion Superior Court 32, Judge James K. Snyder sentenced Douglas to 50 years in prison for murder and an extra five years for using a firearm during the incident.
The shooting occurred shortly after 1:30 a.m. on July 17, 2025, in the parking lot outside the pub, which is located at 4425 S., west of the Interstate 65 interchange. Southport Road, according to WRTV. Dillingham attempted to break up a fight in the bar’s game area, stepping in to protect a bartender from an enraged Douglas, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by WTHR. Douglas reportedly threatened bar employees, “You all are dead men,” before being taken by a bouncer around 1:30 a.m. Outside, Douglas screamed racial obscenities and threatened a woman who hit him through his car window, warning her, “B—-, I have something for you,” according to the same affidavit reported by WTHR. Security footage analyzed in the case apparently showed Douglas and Dillingham shaking hands and hugging earlier in the night, which contrasted sharply with what happened thereafter. Douglas shot Dillingham in the parking lot while spectators looked on and then attempted to assist the injured man before first responders came.
Following the incident, Douglas fled the area in his automobile. Investigators traced him down to his residence on Naomi Street, on Indianapolis’ southeast side, where they seized a weapon. WIBC reports that a 40-caliber firearm and apparel found in the tavern matched security camera footage. Witnesses reported Douglas was heavily intoxicated that night, and probable cause documents obtained by the station show he changed his story several times while speaking with investigators, first claiming he did not remember being at the bar, then describing himself as a “lightweight” who could “drink like a hog,” and implying his drinks were heavy pours or spiked after bar receipts showed four shots of Crown Royal on his tab.
Douglas had his first court appearance on murder charges on July 22, 2025, when Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears openly said that racist remarks and hate-driven hostility were directly responsible for the tragic confrontation. On July 30, a jury convicted Douglas of murder after a four-day trial in which his defense attorneys claimed he fired his weapon in self-defense, which the jury rejected.
Following the sentencing, Mears stated in a news release that prejudice and discrimination motivated the violent act and that hatred should never be the cause of death. He stated that the community does not tolerate hatred or prejudice and that the tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for people to hold one another accountable. Mears further stated that the verdict helps the Dillingham family get justice.
According to FindLaw, Indiana law imposes a required fixed sentence of 45 to 65 years for murder, with 55 years serving as the state’s advised baseline. Separately, state law enables courts to impose a fixed enhancement of five to twenty years when a defendant knowingly or intentionally utilizes a firearm while committing a felony, according to Justia Law—the process that added Douglas’ five years.
The Mucky Duck Pub is located on a business strip along Interstate 65 that has seen periodic parking lot violence, including a fatal shooting outside a Texas Roadhouse in February 2025 and a shooting outside Carrabba’s last month, as Hoodline previously reported. Indianapolis had 159 criminal homicides in 2023, and Marion County prosecutors handle more than 100 homicide trials and prosecutions each year, according to Suhre & Associates, highlighting how frequently tensions in the county escalate to firearms.
Leave a Reply