A single dad in Indianapolis thought he was going on a date, but his night out ended in his tragic death. Jarrell Pryor was allegedly set up by a young woman under the guise of a date, but she secretly was in another relationship. She reportedly used her boyfriend to ambush, rob, and kill the unsuspecting single dad.
Now, both the young woman and her boyfriend are facing charges for Pryor’s murder. And his family is still reeling from their loss.
How the events unfolded.
Jarrell Pryor, a 26-year-old single dad of one, was fatally shot in the early morning hours of January 25, 2025 the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement. Officers who responded to reports of gunshots found Pryor on the ground next to a car. He was later taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries.
An autopsy performed revealed he was shot in the stomach, right jaw, right chest and lower right back, reported the Indianapolis Star.
Pryor’s phone was found at the scene by detectives. They were able to access data on the phone, and found Instagram messages between him and 19-year-old Alexis Hawkins. Prior to his death, charges for a nearby liquor store and McDonald’s were also found on his phone. Video surveillance from Crown Liquors shows Pryor pulling into the parking lot just before 12:30 a.m. Detectives believe that the other person spotted in the car is Hawkins.
According to court records, Hawkins began messaging her boyfriend, 18-year-old Brian Winston Jr. Police say the teens then began to formulate a plan to rob Jarrell Pryor. Based on the messages between the two, police believe that they were involved in the murder and robbery.
‘I’m broken inside. I’m tore up.’
When Hawkins spoke with police, she admitted to being at the scene and in Pryor’s car. However, she denied taking part in the killing. “My fingerprints aren’t on anything,” she told police, according to the Indianapolis Star. As People reported, Hawkins was officially arrested on February 26. Winston was arrested on April 2 in Austin, Texas, before being sent to Indiana.
“I’m broken inside. I’m tore up,” Pryor’s mother, Tamekia Wiley, told Fox 59. His stepfather, Travis Wiley added, “He lost his life for going on a date.”
“It was a senseless act and they didn’t get nothing out of it, and they took everything from us,” he continued. “You can’t escape this type of pain. There’s no running from it. There’s no getting away.”
The family, who set up a GoFundMe to help with costs, recently celebrated the third birthday of Pryor’s daughter, Honey. “No justice will ever cure my broken heart. It will not ever bring my baby back,” Tamekia Wiley said.
Hawkins and Winston have been charged with murder and robbery. While Hawkins has been in court, Winston has yet to appear. They are both held without bond pending trial.
“It really doesn’t matter if they spend the rest of their lives in jail,” stepdad Travis Wiley said. “We lost and we have to deal with this pain every day.”
