'It popped off': 17-year-old killed father, sealed body in trash can and dumped it in river, police say

Brandon Perry (Aware Foundation missing person alert)

The 17-year-old son of a missing father in Indianapolis was arrested last weekend and accused of killing his own dad, stuffing the older man’s body into a trash can, and dumping it into a river. David Perry was taken into custody on Saturday and charged with one count of murder and one count of dangerous possession of a firearm in the alleged slaying of 35-year-old Brandon Perry, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.

Brandon Perry is presumed dead as his body has not yet been located.

According to a news release from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, detectives with the Missing Persons Unit on May 29 began investigating the whereabouts of Brandon Perry after his sister reported him missing. However, the investigation quickly shifted from a missing persons case to a likely murder case.

“As a result of information learned during the course of the investigation, IMPD Homicide Detectives took over the investigation,” police wrote in the release. “Based upon video surveillance, physical evidence, and multiple interviews, detectives believe Brandon Perry was killed by his son, David Perry.”

Police said they are working with several other law enforcement agencies as they continue trying to locate Brandon Perry’s body.

Additional information about the alleged murder was revealed in court documents obtained by Indianapolis Fox affiliate WXIN, stating that investigators homed in on the 17-year-old son as the suspected killer based on surveillance footage, witness interviews, cellphone location records, and DNA evidence.

According to the report , David Perry on May 26 was the last person to see his father alive. Despite living in the same home as his father, David Perry did not report the older man missing.

Authorities said they obtained text messages David Perry sent on May 26 to another individual that implicated him in his father’s alleged death.

“It popped off,” David Perry reportedly said in a message to an unnamed individual.

“What?” the person responded.

“I’ll talk to you about it in person, can’t say over text,” David Perry wrote.

The individual to whom David Perry sent those messages reportedly spoke to investigators, telling police that they were in regard to an altercation David Perry had with Brandon Perry. The individual added that David Perry also mentioned he would be unable to return to the house he shared with his dad.

Additionally, Brandon Perry’s sister told police that she reported him missing after going to his home and finding a “large amount of blood” on his mattress.

The sister told investigators that she had spoken with David Perry, who said that “his dad is in the White River and that he was in a trash can,” WXIN reported. Per the sister, David Perry claimed that he dumped the trash can with his father’s body in the river about an hour south of their home, saying that the lid of the can was “shut and wasn’t going to open.”

Surveillance footage from May 27 allegedly showed David Perry buying a dolly, vacuum, and seat covers from a local store, Indianapolis ABC affiliate WRTV reported . Several hours later, cellphone location data placed David Perry in the area near the White River where his father’s truck was found abandoned.

Authorities are urging anyone with information relevant to the case to contact IMPD Homicide Master Detective David Miller via email at David.Miller2@indy.gov or by phone at 317-327-3475. Anonymous tips can be submitted to CrimeStoppers at 317-262-TIPS.

The post ‘It popped off’: 17-year-old killed father, sealed body in trash can and dumped it in river, police say first appeared on Law & Crime .