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2018 Fatal Beating

According to Fox59, Vincent McCurtis beat a man in the lobby of the Shadeland Inn in Indianapolis, Indiana in March 2018. According to WTHR, the man died at the hospital, and McCurtis was detained at the scene.

The motive for the crime is unclear, but McCurtis got a sweetheart deal. He pleaded guilty to a count of aggravated battery and three counts of battery and was sentenced to 16 years with 8 in prison, 4 on home detention, and 4 suspended.

Murder of Bryan Ward

By 2023, he was back on the streets and living in a duplex next to Victoria Navarrete. According to Justia, Navarrete returned to her home in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the late afternoon of May 14th, 2023. Her neighbors, McCurtis and Nicole Stewart, were outside with Brandon Jackson and Bryan Ward.

As Navarrete entered her residence, Ward told her, “I love those legs.”  Navarrete ignored the comment and went inside to change. She then returned outside, planning to read a book, but ended up spending time with the four that were already outside listening to music, drinking, and smoking marijuana.

At some point, McCurtis and Jackson went inside. When McCurtis came back out, he saw Ward talking to Navarrete. He became enraged and told Ward, “Hey, don’t talk to her, don’t talk to my sister. I told you I don’t want anyone talking to her.”

Even though Navarrete and McCurtis were not related, he would call her his sister and act as if he were her protector.

Ward replied, “Okay, I won’t.” With the energy shifting, Ward got up and tried to walk to his vehicle to leave, but McCurtis wasn’t having it. He ordered Jackson to come out and attack Ward.

McCurtis, who was still on home detention for the 2018 hotel beating, stated, “This is what I do,” followed by, “I want him dead,” and “I kill people.”

The two men attacked Ward. Even though they were out of the sight of Navarrete and Stewart, who were on the porch, the women could hear skin smacking and slapping.

At one point, McCurtis walked away from the beating and returned to the porch to order the women not to call the police.

According to Justia, McCurtis went back to beating Ward and ordered Jackson to take the injured man’s phone and keys. As McCurtis got in Ward’s truck, he ordered Ward to take him inside and “drown him, but don’t kill him.”

As McCurtis drove Ward’s car around the block, Navarrete saw an opportunity to get help. She was scared to call 911 herself, fearing McCurtis would attack her too, so she texted other people asking them to call.

McCurtis eventually returned to the apartment, went inside his unit, and started beating Ward again.

At the same time, Navarrete went into her unit and finally found someone to contact the police.

McCurtis came back outside at some point, and when he didn’t see Navarrete, he thought she was calling the cops. She quickly returned outside, telling him he was just getting a sweater. McCurtis told her once again, “not to call the cops.”

Both McCurtis and Navarrete went back to their units for a moment. Minutes later, McCurtis entered Navarrete’s unit and invited her over to his place so he could show her what he does for his family.

Navarrete refused to go to his place, so he said, “I’ll just bring him out to you.” Navarrete shut her door and locked it, but when she looked out her window, she saw McCurtis and Jackson carrying Ward’s lifeless body.

McCurtis banged on Navarrete’s door, but when she didn’t come out, he carried Ward back to his unit.

Eventually, police arrived at the scene.

They found Ward unresponsive was bruising to his head. He was rushed to a hospital and died on arrival. Medical personnel restarted his heart, but he was brain-dead. His family took him off life support the next day.

The evidence against Jackson and McCurtis was overwhelming; they had witnesses, and Ward’s DNA was all over McCurtis’s bathroom and under McCurtis’s fingernails.

Legal Proceedings

McCurtis and Jackson were tried together for murder, but the jury was instructed that they could consider several lesser charges for Jackson.

Jackson was convicted of reckless homicide. He was sentenced to 5 years in prison. McCurtis was convicted of murder as a habitual offender and aggravated battery. He was sentenced to 79 years in prison.

His earliest possible release date is August 23rd, 2079.