UPDATE (Feb. 2, 2023): Sylvester Ford was convicted of murder after a three-day trial. Sentencing is scheduled for March 1, 2023.

BEECH GROVE, Ind.– When Devon Ford was found shot to death in his bed at the Beech Meadow Apartments on the morning of Feb. 16, his nephew was the best witness police had to depend on.

As it turned out, he was also the best suspect.

Now that the Marion County Prosecutor has announced it will try Sylvester Ford, 16, for the killing of his uncle, the Ford family is stunned that one of their own took another relative’s life.

“I’ve always believed that there is no such thing as a coincidence, no coincidences in life,” said Hollis Ford, uncle to Devon and granduncle to Sylvester. “No one gets shot for no reason at all. There’s always a pre- before the after. That’s what I believe. It’s always premeditated. That’s why people get shot.”

According to the probable cause affidavit, Sylvester told family and investigators several conflicting stories, beginning with, “Five guys ran upstairs. I left open door taking out trash. Devon gone.” and concluding with, “I shot my uncle but it was an accident.”

The family also told investigators that Sylvester had recently been released from incarceration and Devon was angry that the teen missed a meeting with a court appointed therapist.

“It’s a very touchy situation because when you lose somebody in the family and it becomes an inner family situation, the ripple effect is terrible,” said Hollis Ford, “because it is affecting generations that are here now, we have new generations that are affected by it. I’m talking about seven- and eight-year-olds that are affected by it.”

Ford described his nephew as, “A good kid. In the 28 years that he lived, he probably did more than any 28-year-old and he had more because he worked hard.

“You can never imagine how it feels when this happens to you because you can never imagine that this is coming to your doorstep,” said Ford. “It feels like a bad dream.”

Devon Ford will be buried this weekend.

Sylvester Ford is due back in court on March 18.