Indianapolis man faces trial for 2017 triple murder

INDIANAPOLIS—An Indianapolis man charged in the 2017 murders of three people is scheduled to go on trial Monday in Marion County Criminal Court.

25-year-old Kenneth Lancaster is charged in the deaths of 64-year-old Mark Higgins, 34-year-old Keith Higgins and 34-year-old Jessica Carte at their home near East 16 Street and North Franklin Road on the city's east side.

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According to a probable cause affidavit, investigators believe Lancaster was Carte’s drug dealer, and that he had been giving Carte money to rent vehicles for him under her name. Carte was reportedly keeping the money – which Lancaster allegedly discovered when he was pulled over while driving one of the rental vehicles.

In response, detectives learned Lancaster allegedly called Carte to a house near Keystone and English avenues, where, they say, he tied her up and took her phone and purse. Police say Lancaster then took Carte to the house where she was killed, along with Mark and Keith Higgins.

Detectives later spoke with a witness who reportedly overhead Lancaster saying that, “she (Carte) should have thought about that and made the funeral arrangements when she stole the money from us.”

Other witnesses described hearing Lancaster talk about and admit to the homicides on multiple occasions.

Lancaster was arrested early last year for the June 2017 murders.

A criminal history filed in the case lists previous arrests for Lancaster in Marion County on charges of possession of cocaine, dealing in a narcotic drug, unlawful possession of a firearm by a domestic batterer, battery, domestic battery, strangulation and alteration of handgun identifying marks.