CBS News
2 women found dead on same road within days in Indianapolis were killed “in the same manner,” police say
Authorities are investigating a pair of similar murders in Indianapolis that happened within days of each other in the same area last week.
Although there are “a number of commonalities” between the two killings, no evidence directly indicates that they were related, the Indianapolis Police Department said in a news release. But authorities have still made note of the similarities in both cases, including the fact that both victims were White women in their 50s who were killed “in the same manner.” Their bodies were found on the same road, and each had ties to the city’s far east side, according to police.ย
Police have not shared details about how either woman was killed, nor have they identified a suspect or suspects despite characterizing both cases as homicides.ย
At a Friday news briefing, which the police department said was held “out of an abundance of caution,” Acting Police Chief Chris Bailey asked that anyone with information potentially connected to either case contact the department, CBS affiliate WTTV reported.ย
“We need the community’s assistance to understand what these women were doing before they were killed that may help investigators move this case forward,” said Bailey.
The first woman was found dead the morning of Jan. 27, in the parking lot of a dentist’s office on Indianapolis’ east side, according to police and WTTV. Just days later, on Feb. 1, a second woman was found dead behind a strip mall nearby. The victims were respectively identified as 58-year-old Shannon Lassere and 52-year-old Marianne Weis, WTTV reported.ย
Justin Smith, Lassere’s son, told the station that his mother had gone out for a walk the night of Jan. 26 and never returned home, and suggested the two killings were not a coincidence. CBS News contacted the Indianapolis Police Department for more information but did not receive an immediate response.ย
“It’s just weird that it is two different people, two different days, and it seems similar. It’s absolutely weird,” Michael Adams, who lives near the sites of the killings, told WTTV.
Indianapolis police said they are stepping up officers’ presence in the area where the bodies were found “in the interest of public safety to prevent this type of violence in our community.”
“Residents should expect to see more uniformed officers patrolling the area, in vehicles and on foot, and detectives will be canvassing the area in the coming days,” police said. “In addition to our homicide unit, IMPD will have multiple units working these cases.”
The police department said it is working with a county forensic services agency to determine whether meaningful forensic evidence can be pulled from the scene and asking others in the area to check any private surveillance footage “to see if they saw anything suspicious or out of the ordinary.”
President-elect Donald Trump’s criminal conviction in state court remains on the books Monday, after a New York judge rejected an effort by Trump to have the case tossed based on a landmark Supreme Court ruling.
Justice Juan Merchan found that a July Supreme Court ruling granting Trump presidential immunity for official acts did not preclude a jury from finding him guilty after a criminal trial this spring.
Merchan wrote that evidence shown at trial pertained “entirely to unofficial conduct.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
As unexplained drone sightings along the East Coast trigger investigations and demands from officials for more information, a wave of online speculation has filled the void as amateur sleuths seek to solve the mystery themselves.
One Facebook group called “New Jersey Mystery Drones – let’s solve it”ย has surged to over 73,000 members in recent days, becoming a hub for users to share their drone sightings and speculate on the source of the mysterious activity.
George Gary, a New Jersey resident who joined the Facebook group, told CBS News that he was sitting in his car in Moorestown when he saw what he said were “multiple drones” in the sky. “I’m honestly not sure what’s behind them,” he said, speculating that it could be connected to government activity. “I’m really curious to find out.”
New Jersey resident Vanessa Grierson, who also said she has seen drones, told CBS News she joined the Facebook group to find out what others were seeing. “It’s alarming that there are still no answers,” she said.ย
Across social media, users have shared theories that range from foreign interference to UFOs to hobbyist activity.ย
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a joint statement last week saying there is “no evidence at this time” that the reported drone sightings pose a threat to national security or public safety, or have any foreign connection.
But state and local leaders have been pushing for more information and a stronger response.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said Sunday he is urging federal authorities to allocate more resources to investigate the sightings, while New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that a drone detection system is being deployed in the state.
In some cases, people mistake planes for dronesย
The number of drones flying over the East Coast and the identity of those behind the activity remain unclear. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Monday that the FBI has received about 5,000 tips of reported drone sightings in the last few weeks, “about 100 of which they felt needed to be followed up on.”ย
Authorities say many of the reported drone sightings could be aircraft or helicopters operating from the region’s numerous airports, as residents increasingly turn their attention to the skies in search of answers.
New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim said he went on patrol with police on Thursday night to find out more about the drones. In a lengthy X thread, Kim said he “concluded that most of the possible drone sightings that were pointed out to me were almost certainly planes.”ย
Kirby said many other reports were determined to be “a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones.”
In addition, unrelated videos have sparked confusion. On Friday, a video was widely shared and said to show a mysterious drone seemingly “shooting” at the ground. However, CBS News traced the footage to a military training exercise at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.ย
People have also shared old videos from different contexts. One widely shared clip, allegedly showing drones over New York, is at least four years old.
Officials respondย
Rep. Mike Waltz, a Republican from Florida who is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for national security adviser, said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” that the lack of information highlights lapses in authority between local law enforcement and federal agencies like the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security.
“I think Americans are finding it hard to believe we can’t figure out where these are coming from,” Waltz said. “It’s pointing to gaps in our capabilities and in our ability to clamp down on what’s going on here. And we need to get to the bottom of it.”
Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said there is a “growing sense of uncertainty and urgency across the state” despite statements from federal investigators assuring residents that the drones do not pose public safety threats.
“As such, I urge you to share any relevant information about these drone sightings with the public,” Booker said. “Without transparency, I believe that rumors, fear, and misinformation will continue to spread.”
Shooting down drones?ย
Some social media users have suggested that they plan to shoot down the drones if they veer too close to their homes. President-elect Trump also suggested shooting down the drones, though he did not clarify who should take such action.ย
However, shooting down a drone is a federal crime.ย
The Federal Aviation Administration classifies drones as aircraft, meaning damaging or destroying them is a violation of the Aircraft Sabotage Act.ย
Beyond legal risks, firing at drones poses a serious safety hazard and could lead to injuries.
Washington โ President-elect Trump is meeting with TikTok CEO Shou Chew on Monday at his Mar-a-Lago estate, according to sources familiar with the meeting.
The news was first reported by CNN.ย
A spokesperson for TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
At a news conference earlier Monday, Trump had warm words about TikTok and its near-term future.ย
“We’ll take a look at TikTok. You know, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok, because I won youth by 34 points. And there are those that say that TikTok has something to do with that,” Trump said when asked about how he would stop a ban. Harris won 54% of voters under 30, but Trump made inroads.
During his first term in the White House, Trump tried to ban the app.ย
President Biden earlier this year signed into law a bill passed by Congress requiring TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, face a Jan. 19 deadline to cut ties or be banned in the U.S. The companies have tried to delay the deadline pending a Supreme Court review, but a federal appeals court, which upheld the law, denied the request last week. The companies asked the Supreme Court on Monday to temporarily pause the law.ย
“A modest delay in enforcing the Act will create breathing room for this Court to conduct an orderly review and the new Administration to evaluate this matter โ before this vital channel for Americans to communicate with their fellow citizens and the world is closed,” the emergency application said.
The filing asked the Supreme Court to make a decision on the request by Jan. 6 so ByteDance and TikTok can “coordinate with their service providers to perform the complex task of shutting down the TikTok platform only in the United States” if the justices decline.
A 90-day extension could be granted if a sale is in process by the deadline. But TikTok has argued that a sale is unfeasible and the Chinese government opposes the sale of the algorithm which powers the app.ย
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