INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Gruesome new details are being released about the murder of a missing Indianapolis man found buried in a shallow grave and covered in concrete earlier this week.
Jason Hancock, 48, of Brownsburg, was arrested on Thursday for his alleged involvement in the murder of 41-year-old Michael Marks.
This week IMPD homicide detectives found the victim’s body inside a concrete grave at a storage building on 29th street on Indy’s near northwest side.
The story started in early February.
During a traffic stop on Crawfordsville Road, an IMPD officer arrested Jason Hancock on a felony warrant out of Putnam County. Police say a search of Hancock’s car turned up crystal meth and a handgun.
With Hancock in jail, police say Michael Marks removed items belonging to Hancock from a warehouse on 29th street.
As a result, when Hancock bonded out of jail he became angry with Marks.
In late February police say Hancock, his son and a third man who served as a witness met Marks at the warehouse where Marks was shot to death.
This week the witness led police to the body, which police found in a shallow grave covered in concrete.
According to court records, for three days after the murder Hancock visited multiple home improvement stores in Brownsburg as he took several intricate steps to try and dispose of the victim’s body.
Court records detail how Hancock and the witness bought a product called ZEP to try and dispose of the victim’s body.
When that didn’t work they came to an ACE Hardware and bought a bottle of pure lye, but that also failed to decompose the body.
Finally, the pair visited a Lowes in Brownsburg where they bought 30 bags of concrete.
The affidavit then explains how “Jason knocked out Mr. Marks teeth…and stated he was going to make a necklace out of them.” Hancock and the witness then used “a large pole to poke holes in the body so concrete would enter the body.”
“It’s sad. It’s really tough when it happens in your neighborhood and to someone you know so well. It’s a very difficult thing,” said neighbor Steve Beck.
This week police raided Hancock’s home in Brownsburg, where multiple neighbors say they are stunned by the allegations.
“He’s been a good neighbor. He was a handy man. He did a lot of work for me. We had no issues. I’m totally shocked,” said Beck.
During a police interview, Hancock’s son told investigators they could find the murder weapon at his home and added, “Jason was attempting to pistol whip the (victim) when the gun went off.”
Hancock remains behind bars at the Marion County jail while the case is investigated. He’s being held without bond and is due in court on Monday.
