INDIANAPOLIS — A man was sentenced Wednesday for the murder of his long-time friend in July 2020.
A Marion County judge ordered Ronald Collins to serve 45 years for killing James Hayden, a man Collins had been friends with for decades.
Collins pleaded guilty in February to murdering Hayden.
Police found Hayden dead when they responded July 8, 2020, to his home, in the 2100 block of North Spencer Avenue. He was inside a bedroom with duct tape and electrical wiring restraining his body.
Officers found signs of forced entry at the scene.
Prosecutors said there were obvious signs of an altercation inside the home, including several broken items and a bloody knife.
Collins told detectives he stayed at Hayden’s residence and that they had been friends since he was 13 years old.
