New dad and Iraq War Veteran Jim Vester, 32, was at an Indianapolis parking lot to buy an iPad with sellers from Craigslist when two assailants allegedly ambushed and shot him dead.
The veteran Indiana Army guardsman was slain during a 4 p.m. robbery in the parking lot of the Wyckford Commons apartment complex, 900 Wyckford Drive. Vester was trying to buy an iPad from a seller he contacted on Craigslist, a family acquaintance and law enforcement sources said.
“He knew it wasn’t the best neighborhood, that’s why he went in the middle of the afternoon,” said family friend Sarah Hill about Vester’s arrangement to buy the tablet. “He was being careful.”
The suspects in the killing are Tyron Kincade, 19, and Tyshaune Kincade, 18. The brothers were arrested and held on preliminary charges of murder and robbery. Police caught them during a traffic stop.
Vester leaves behind his son Gavin, who just turned one in November, and his wife Jamie. He joined the National Guard in 2002 and served one year in Iraq starting in June 2005. He took a civilian job with the Guard at a vehicle maintenance shop in Indianapolis.
“During this time, he proved himself to be one of the most proficient and reliable mechanics in the automotive section,” the Indiana Army National Guard said in a statement.
Vester’s friends started a donation site for his family. They have reached $64,623 of their $100,000 goal with over 1,500 participating.
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