Tevis Walker was convicted in September of murder, rape and other offenses in the 2023 death of 15-year-old Janiya Carr.
INDIANAPOLIS — A former apartment maintenance worker was sentenced Friday to 140 years in prison for the killing and sexual assault of 15-year-old Janiya Carr, bringing a major court proceeding to a close more than three years after the Indianapolis teenager disappeared.
Tevis Walker was sentenced after a Marion County jury found him guilty in September of murder, felony murder, two counts of rape and three counts of sexual misconduct with a minor. Walker also pleaded guilty to a habitual offender sentencing enhancement after the verdict. Authorities said he will serve the sentence in the Indiana Department of Correction.
Carr disappeared in the early morning hours of Oct. 28, 2023. Investigators said surveillance video showed her getting into a black Kia Optima registered to Walker, who worked as a maintenance employee and also lived at the Carriage House East apartment complex on Indianapolis’ northeast side. Carr’s body was found days later in a wooded area near the property.
Investigators relied heavily on surveillance footage as they reconstructed what happened after Carr entered the vehicle. Court records and later reporting showed the Kia leaving the area and returning less than an hour later. Cameras then captured the vehicle being driven onto a grassy area near the location where Carr’s body was later discovered. Additional footage showed a person matching Walker’s description around the vehicle.
Prosecutors also said Walker’s DNA was recovered from Carr. During an interview with detectives after her disappearance, Walker acknowledged picking Carr up but said he had taken her to meet someone selling an iPad. He told investigators the seller did not appear and that he returned Carr to the apartment complex. Investigators said surveillance evidence did not support important parts of that account.
Walker was arrested in November 2023 as police investigated Carr’s death. The case later moved through Marion County court before a jury returned guilty verdicts on Sept. 23, 2026, following a two-day trial. The convictions covered both the killing and sexual offenses against Carr, who was weeks away from her 16th birthday.
Carr was a student at Arsenal Technical High School. Her disappearance and death drew widespread attention in Indianapolis as relatives sought information about her whereabouts before authorities announced that her body had been found. Her family had described the pain of losing a teenager who had recently attended homecoming and was preparing to celebrate her birthday.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said after the sentencing that no prison term could reverse the family’s loss. He said prosecutors hoped the 140-year sentence would provide Carr’s relatives with some measure of comfort after the lengthy criminal case.
The sentencing represents the latest and most consequential court action in the prosecution. Walker, now convicted and sentenced in Carr’s death, is expected to serve the 140-year term in state prison.
Author note: Last updated November 7, 2026.