Anderson 19-year-old sentenced to 125 years for role in 2025 shooting
The Madison County Prosecutor’s Office announced Thursday Rashawn Samuels, 19, was sentenced to 125 years in prison for his role in the 2025 shooting death of Dayla Swain, 26.
Swaim was shot outside Sonny Ray’s in Anderson on February 2, 2025.
Samuels was the codefendant Jo’Majze Larry, a 15-year-old who was sentenced to 100 years in prison earlier this week for his role in the shooting.
Court documents said surveillance video of the scene from a little after 3 in the morning on Feb. 2, 2025, shows multiple flashes of gunfire from the north and south sides of 1525 S. Madison Ave. while a dark blue Ford F150 left the parking lot of Sonny Ray’s and went south on Madison Avenue.
The video shows one person emerge from the side of the residence at 1525 S. Madison Ave., and continues to fire at the F150. Another camera appears to show the victim, Dayla Swain, speaking to the driver of the truck before i t left the parking lot.
As Swain is speaking to the driver, at about 3:06, the video shows puff off the windshield of the vehicle. Swain is then seen retreating in front of the truck as it attempts to pull off onto Madison Avenue.
Swain then begins to walk with difficulty before the truck runs over her legs and leaves the parking lot.
Swain was apparently shot in the lower left side of her chest.
Samuels was convicted on the following charges related to the Swain killing:
- Aiding, inducing or causing murder, a felony.
- Attempted murder, a level 1 felony.
- Conspiracy to commit murder, a level 2 felony.
- Criminal Organization Activity, a level 5 felony.
The prosecutor’s office said after the conviction, Samuels admitted to the criminal organization activity.
Judge David Happe, who also sentenced Larry, sentenced Samuels to 62.5 years for murder enhanced by an additional 62.5 years for the criminal organization enhancement for an aggregate sentence of 125 years.
Samuels will serve his sentence in the custody of the Indiana Department of Correction.
