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IMPD desperately trying to solve two cold cases

Posted at 1:54 PM, Jul 23, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-23 13:59:08-04

INDIANAPOLIS -- IMPD Sgt. Shawn Looper is no stranger to homicides – and as one of the city's top homicide detectives, he's often the one talking to families who've lost a loved one.

"Somebody out there cares about them – and that is the inner drive, if you would, to get a resolution for the family," Looper said. "I don't like to use the word closure, because the family never gets closure. But the family gets answers."

When a case goes cold, Looper says it's frustrating because those answers remain out of reach.

"You feel like you're letting the family down," Looper said.

Among the many unsolved homicides in the city are two cases that have gone cold: the murder of 38-year-old Troy Grayson in January 2014; and the murder of 10-year-old Deshaun Swanson in September 2015.

MORE | 6 months later, the murder of Deshaun Swanson remains unsolved

Grayson was killed in a drive-by shooting near 38th Street and Keystone Avenue. Swanson was also killed in a drive-by shooting as he attended a memorial service at a home on Graceland Avenue in the Butler-Tarkington Neighborhood.

Click the map below to see where all of the homicides in 2016 have occurred:

Police say they're out of leads in both cases, but they know that someone knows something.

"I have received information that knowledge was out there, but they would not cooperate or talk with police or share that information," Looper said.

Looper says IMPD needs tips. They're hoping for someone from the community to step up and give information.

If you have information about either case, police urge you to call Crime Stoppers at 262-TIPS. Your call will remain anonymous.