Teen Lured 3 Men to Remote Area to Show Them How to Turn Glock into Machine Gun, Then Murdered Them

August 28, 2024 Gloria Shaw

In a chilling case that began when he was just 16 years old, an Indiana man has been convicted of murdering three people while demonstrating how to turn a Glock into a machine gun.

Now 19-year-old Caden Smith was found guilty by a jury on Friday of multiple charges, including three counts of murder, robbery, dangerous possession of a machine gun and possession of methamphetamine, according to a press release from the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office.

The victims, 17-year-old Abdulla Mubarak, 18-year-old Joseph Thomas and 22-year-old Michael James, were lured by Smith under the guise of a gun modification.

The murders took place on October 12, 2021, in a remote area overgrown with tall grass near the 4400 block of South Meridian Street in Indianapolis. When police arrived at the scene, they found all three men dead from gunshot wounds, with several spent shell casings scattered nearby.

Investigators later uncovered a series of text messages revealing that Smith had enticed the victims to the secluded spot over two nights, under the pretense of showing them how to use a Glock switch—a device that converts a semiautomatic firearm into a fully automatic weapon.

However, Smith had far more sinister intentions, using the opportunity to murder the men and rob them, as prosecutors outlined in court. The investigation eventually led detectives to identify Smith as the primary suspect, and they recovered the murder weapon at his home.

“This verdict ensures that Caden Smith will likely spend the rest of his life in prison for the heinous crimes he committed,” said Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears in a statement. “The families of Abdullah, Joseph, and Michael will never see their loved ones grow up and live their lives.”

The murders, occurring over two days in such an isolated location, initially sparked fears of a potential serial killer in the community. However, police quickly dispelled these rumors and focused on Smith as the lone perpetrator.

The case took a complicated turn when a judge ruled in 2022 that detectives had violated Smith’s Fourth Amendment rights during the execution of a search warrant, leading to the exclusion of key evidence.

Despite this setback, Smith was released from jail but was later rearrested on his 18th birthday after police discovered Snapchat photos of him with a gun and drugs.

Smith remained in custody until his trial began on August 19, a process that took five days to conclude. The conviction brings a sense of closure to the families of the victims, who have endured a long and painful journey to justice.