Muncie has its own unsolved homicides

MUNCIE, Ind. — Like most communities, Muncie has its own collection of unsolved homicides.

A recurring series of articles published in The Star Press in recent years, "Cold Case: Muncie," has detailed more than 30 such cases in the city and Delaware County from over the past six decades.

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Among the most recent unsolved cases:

Ryan C. 'Coco' Allen

Allen, a 38-year-old Muncie man, was found with what proved to be fatal gunshot wounds, in a vehicle parked in the 1600 block of East Kohlmetz Street last Sept. 18.

To date, no arrests have been made in the case.

William Balfour Sr.

The 70-year-old Muncie man was found slain on July 3, 2019, on Blaine Street near Centennial Avenue.

Investigators said Balfour was a victim of "blunt force trauma."

In the wake of the homicide, members of Balfour's family circulated photos of a local woman they indicated was wanted for questioning in the case.

Police acknowledged that woman was a "person of interest," but said they did not have the evidence necessary to make an arrest.

Deandre Johnson

Johnson, 25, was found deceased on Brady Street, north of First Street, on June 5, 2019.

Delaware County Coroner Rick Howell said the Muncie man had been shot in the head.

Michael Donald Coates

On May 20, 2019, Coates' body was found on a conveyer belt in the Muncie Sanitary District's treatment plant west of Elm Ridge Cemetery.

A pathologist was unable to determine a specific cause of the 41-year-old Muncie man's death.

Investigators believed his remains ended up in the plant after being placed in an outdoor tank at the westside facility, or after entering a manhole on the city's south side.

Call police with tips

Anyone with information on any of these cases should call the Muncie Police Department's investigations division at 765-747-4867.

Douglas Walker is a news reporter at The Star Press. Contact him at 765-213-5851 or at dwalker@muncie.gannett.com.