INDIANAPOLIS, IN — A 25-year-old Indiana man was shot and killed during a late-night date that police say was a set-up for a robbery, and now two teenagers — including the woman he was dating — are behind bars, charged with murder.
Jarrell Pryor, a father and Indianapolis resident, was killed just after midnight on January 25. What appeared to be a romantic outing quickly turned into a deadly ambush, allegedly coordinated through Instagram messages.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by WXIN, the woman Pryor was meeting, Alexis Hawkins, 19, had secretly been messaging her boyfriend, 18-year-old Brian Winston Jr., to orchestrate the robbery — and, ultimately, Pryor’s murder.
Coordinated Trap Unfolds via Instagram
Investigators say Hawkins and Pryor were exchanging messages on Instagram, planning their date. But behind the scenes, Hawkins was also in contact with Winston, allegedly providing timing and location details as part of a planned robbery.
On the night of the shooting, Winston allegedly confronted Pryor while he was sitting in his car and shot him, killing him at the scene. After the incident, police say Hawkins messaged several people asking for a ride from a nearby location.
Searches of Hawkins’ Instagram account and Google activity revealed that she looked up “news today,” “news today near me,” and “shootings Keystone” the day of the murder — a detail that raised red flags for investigators.
Police Questioning and Arrests
During questioning on February 6, Hawkins reportedly claimed she couldn’t recall what happened that night. When asked if her fingerprints might be found in Pryor’s car, she said, “it’s not going to be on no weapon, though.”
However, when investigators asked her about a message in which she mentioned making a “play” — a slang term often associated with a setup or scheme — she stopped cooperating and asked for a lawyer.
Hawkins was arrested later in February and is currently charged with:
- Murder
- Robbery resulting in serious bodily injury
Her next court date is scheduled for May 19.
Winston was later charged with:
- Murder
- Felony murder
- Robbery resulting in serious bodily injury
He appeared in court on April 15 and is also scheduled to return to court on May 19. Both suspects are being held in Marion County Jail without bond.
A Tragic Loss for Family and Community
Pryor’s death has left his loved ones devastated, with friends describing him as a dedicated father. The case has shocked the local community, not only for the cold and calculated nature of the murder, but for the fact that it appears to have been planned by someone he trusted enough to go on a date with.