Stolen car, receipt provide key clues as police arrest suspect in Bloomington man’s murder

OWEN COUNTY, Ind. – Deputies arrested a man in connection with the death of a Bloomington man whose body was found near the Owen-Monroe county line.

A stolen car, a receipt from an auto parts store and accounts from the victim’s friends helped investigators track down the suspect.

The Owen County Sheriff’s Office took 25-year-old Quentin Porter Jr. into custody. He had been sought on an arrest warrant in the death of Malik Sims. He is charged with murder and auto theft, according to court records.

On July 15, a passerby discovered Sims’ body along Stephenson Road. Investigators initially characterized the case as a death investigation, but an autopsy confirmed Sims died from a single gunshot wound to the head. It was apparent the body had been moved, according to court documents.

Family members became worried when Sims failed to come home the night before; no one could get in touch with him. His roommate pinged his phone to a rural area.

When the roommate went to the location, he saw caution tape and police there, as the passerby had come across Sims’ body by that time.

According to the probable cause affidavit, police noticed a 2012 Audi A4 car was not with Sims at the scene; in addition, investigators didn’t locate the vehicle at Sims’ residence in Bloomington.

A search of Flock video cameras showed the car was near Sims’ home around 5:41 p.m. on Sunday, July 14. Less than an hour later, cameras spotted the car near State Road 46 and Stinesville Road in Monroe County.

Police said cameras next spotted the car in Indianapolis at 10:43 p.m. at the intersection of South Harding Street and West Troy Avenue. It ended up on the eastbound exit ramp of I-70 to North Post Road at 11:11 p.m.

On July 15, Flock cameras observed the Audi at various locations around the city.  A camera saw it at 3:01 p.m. at North German Church Road and East 56 ^th Street about 40 minutes after Sims was found dead.

As police continued their investigation, a friend reported seeing Sims with an acquaintance named Quentin Porter, also called “QP,” around 2 p.m. on July 14.

Sims’ girlfriend provided police with a Snapchat message Sims sent her at 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, July 14. One message said, “QP got me going through some bull****.”

On July 16, police found Sims’ Audi parked on the northeast side of Indianapolis outside a home registered to Porter’s grandmother. The grandmother told police Porter had stolen her Chevrolet Malibu; police located the car and detained Porter.

His grandmother requested that no charges be filed regarding the stolen car, and Porter was released. All the while, Sims’ Audi remained parked near the grandmother’s residence.

Later in the day, police obtained a search warrant for the Audi; Porter was not present when police executed the warrant. Family members told investigators Porter arrived at around 11 p.m. on Sunday, July 14. He was alone and had been driving the Audi.

When family members asked if the vehicle belonged to him, “he responded vaguely that ‘it was going to be his,’” according to court documents.

Investigators examined the car on July 17. They found a large amount of blood inside the vehicle, according to court documents, and there were indications someone tried to clean it with bleach. Areas of the interior had been spray painted, police said, and someone had added seat covers “likely to conceal or cover the blood.”

A state police investigator discovered a receipt from an auto parts store on East 38 ^th Street for the purchase of seat covers and duct tape; police later talked to employees and viewed video of the transaction, which showed a man matching Porter’s description making the purchase with a Visa card.

The transaction happened at 10:22 a.m. on July 15.

Court documents indicate that a person called a company in Bloomington on July 17 seeking to have a 2012 or 2013 Audi towed from Indianapolis to Bloomington and paid a $400 advance for the service.

The individual paid for the advance with the same Visa card used to buy seat covers at the auto parts store—the same seat covers found in Sims’ Audi.

Just before 4 p.m. on July 18, a Bloomington police officer stopped a Nissan Sentra that had been rented from Indianapolis. The driver was identified as Porter.

Detectives with the Owen County Sheriff’s Office arrested Porter on Wednesday. Prosecutors filed formal charges of murder and auto theft against him.

The probable cause affidavit provided little insight into Porter’s motive.

Indiana State Police, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and Bloomington Police Department assisted in the investigation.

“This is an example of what law enforcement can do when we work together,” said Owen County Sheriff Ryan White. “All the agencies involved have worked endlessly since we first received the call on July 15th. We put our resources together in one cohesive effort to bring justice for Malik. I cannot thank our partner agencies enough for their assistance with this case.”

Porter’s initial hearing was scheduled for Thursday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 59.