Police arrested 37-year-old Kevin Comer after his father was found dead during a welfare check at a west Indianapolis home.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN — An Indianapolis man is accused of killing his 63-year-old father with a handheld axe inside their west-side home, according to court records and local news reports. Kevin Comer, 37, was arrested after police found Jody Crossett Comer dead Saturday morning.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were sent to the 3200 block of Lupine Drive at about 10:06 a.m. Nov. 7 for a welfare check. Police said officers found Jody Comer inside the home with injuries consistent with trauma. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Kevin Comer was later located on West Washington Street and taken into custody on a preliminary murder charge.
The welfare check was requested after Jody Comer failed to report to work, according to reporting based on court documents and interviews with his coworkers. His employer became concerned about his absence and asked police to check on him. Investigators have described the death as a targeted incident and have not indicated that there is an ongoing threat to the public.
Court documents cited by local news outlets allege Kevin Comer attacked his father with a handheld axe. Some descriptions of the weapon have referred to it more generally as a small axe or similar tool. Authorities had not publicly released a final forensic determination identifying the exact weapon as of Monday.
The court records also allege that after the killing, Kevin Comer covered his father’s body with blankets and clothing. Investigators said he considered setting the material on fire but did not follow through. The allegation is part of the prosecution’s account and has not been proven in court.
Coworkers told FOX59 that Jody Comer had previously expressed concern about his son and had asked people close to him to request a welfare check if he unexpectedly failed to show up. One coworker said that warning became significant when Comer did not arrive for work Saturday. Another coworker told the station that Kevin Comer later approached him while trying to sell tools and made statements that raised concerns about Jody Comer’s whereabouts.
According to court records cited by local media, Kevin Comer made statements to investigators about his father and the killing. Reports said he described the experience as “liberating” and portrayed his father in strongly negative terms. Those statements are allegations contained in the investigative record and do not establish guilt.
Police initially announced the arrest as a preliminary murder case while homicide detectives continued collecting evidence. The Marion County Coroner’s Office was responsible for determining Jody Comer’s official cause and manner of death. A preliminary charge can be changed or supplemented after prosecutors review evidence submitted by investigators.
Kevin Comer was being held without bond at the Marion County Jail, according to local reports published Monday. An initial court hearing was expected Tuesday. Any criminal charges are allegations, and Comer is presumed innocent unless proved guilty in court.
Author note: Last updated November 9, 2026.