Slain UIndy football player’s family endures first Christmas without him, homicide remains unsolved

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indy’s homicide toll has reached 262 for 2021 — that’s an all-time grounds for the city. For galore families, including Koebe Clopton’s, that means an bare spot astatine the array this vacation season.

Clopton was fatally changeable connected the city’s eastbound broadside successful September. He was a inferior astatine the University of Indianapolis and was besides connected the shot team. Clopton’s household said his decease is inactive shocking and adjacent harder to travel to presumption with present that it’s Christmas.

Clopton’s household said helium was authentic, diversion and world — each reasons his grandpa Larry Clopton said helium wanted to get retired of Hammond wherever helium grew up and spell to Indianapolis to larn and grow.

“He got a afloat thrust assistance to play shot due to the fact that helium was an All-American wide receiver, but much importantly to further his education. He was astir education,” said Larry Clopton.

Koebe Clopton’s clip astatine UIndy was chopped abbreviated erstwhile helium was changeable and killed. His mom, Nadia Clopton, said she inactive doesn’t cognize why.

“I conscionable don’t consciousness similar it’s going anywhere. My lad was, like, fig 209, and present they’re astatine (262) … vand I consciousness similar it conscionable keeps getting pushed back. It’s not conscionable a number, and that’s each Indianapolis keeps saying — we person 250, we person 260 homicides,” said Nadia Clopton.

The household said alternatively of going into Christmas with immoderate closure, they’re feeling defeated.

“This benignant of happening hurts — it hurts, man, and this clip of twelvemonth it hurts adjacent more. So erstwhile radical inquire if you’re good — it’s benignant of hard to inquire idiosyncratic if you’re good due to the fact that you conscionable effort to transportation your look connected similar you are ok, but your bosom is hurting,” said Larry Clopton.

But somehow, that wounded is giving them hope, and the Cloptons said they’ll bash their champion to support warring for each family.

“Of people we are speaking connected his behalf, but immoderate parent, anybody going done what we’re going through, you know, I consciousness for them — I talk for them, too. We request to conscionable nexus unneurotic similar a concatenation and effort to get thing done astir this,” said Larry Clopton.

Nadia Clopton said her lad sold shoes connected the broadside to marque other wealth and she thinks that whitethorn person had thing to bash with his death. So far, constabulary person not said if that’s the case.

No 1 has been arrested for his murder.