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Watkins pleads not guilty at initial hearing

Posted at 9:05 PM, Dec 29, 2015
and last updated 2015-12-30 18:13:42-05

INDIANAPOLIS -- A not guilty plea for the bail bondsman accused of brutally murdering two teens.

Kevin Watkins appeared at an initial hearing on Wednesday.

Satori Dionne Williams, 16, and his friend, 15-year-old Timmee Jackson were last seen around 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve.

VIDEO | Fight breaks out after hearing for bail bondsman

Jackson's family said he was a freshman at Thomas Carr Howe Community High School. 

Amber Partlow, Williams' mother, said she began to worry Christmas morning when her son still hadn't returned home. She told police she searched for him throughout her neighborhood, eventually ending up at a home on the 5900 block of 23rd Street, where she knew her son had been having problems with residents.

Dionne Williams, 16, as seen in a family photo.

According to court documents, Kevin Watkins lived at the home and filed a burglary report Dec. 19. Watkins reportedly suspected Williams of the burglary.

Williams' family said they don't think he knew Watkins. 

When she arrived at Watkins' home, Partlow said she saw a large amount of blood on the front step, as well as in the grass and on leaves in the yard. She then called police.

An IMPD officer arrived to find blood trailing around the west side of the house. Blood was also found on the back bumper of Watkins' SUV, as well as the rear doors. Watkins told police he didn't know anything about the blood.

The blood reportedly turned into two trails on the west side of the residence. One trail led behind the garage of a vacant property next door. The other went southeast toward a tree line, then met back up with the other trail and ended behind the same garage.

Police executed a search warrant and found even more items covered in blood: a plastic rake with "a large amount of what appeared to be blood in it;" and a yellow dash light along with a large wad of gray duct tape.

Police also found "pieces of what appeared to be brain matter" just off of the sidewalk in front of Watkins' house.

Watkins voluntarily went to IMPD's homicide office, but then asked for an attorney and declined to give a statement.

A further search of Watkins' vehicle turned up "blood in just about every passenger compartment of the vehicle," investigators said. Police also found an outfit matching one described by one of the victim's families saturated in blood. Police said pieces of bone and brain matter were found on the clothing. A fingertip apparently belonging to an "African-American human" was also found.

At the "Watkins Bail Bonds" business owned by Watkins at 6001 Massachusetts Avenue, police reportedly found bloody clothing and a handgun-shaped BB gun inside a dumpster.

Witnesses told police Williams had been carrying a crowbar and BB gun the time they saw him.

Surveillance video obtained by police reportedly captured Watkins' vehicle pulling into the rear of his business around 8:37 p.m. on Christmas Eve. The video shows Watkins hanging a black garment over the fence. A little while later, Watkins removes the garment and drives his vehicle to a nearby shopping center. Around 10:41 p.m., Watkins returned to his business.

Seconds later, police said the camera captured a white Ford Expedition pulling in behind Watkins' blue Chevrolet SUV. A driver steps out of the Ford and appears to shake hands with Watkins. They then separate to their individual vehicles. The second driver is eventually seen carrying something to his Ford, before driving off. Watkins follows shortly thereafter.

Surveillance video from around 3:45 a.m. Christmas morning showed Watkins taking bags from his SUV and putting them in the dumpster, along with a pair of pants. Watkins is shown carrying a shovel at one point, but no shovel was recovered.

Based on their findings, police arrested Kevin Watkins on preliminary charges of murder for the deaths of Williams and Jackson. He was being held at the Marion County Arrestee Processing Center without bond.

Watkins next pretrial hearing is set for Feb. 16. 

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