Indianapolis, IN
One year after exoneration: Leon Benson returns to Indianapolis for 'Rebirth Celebration'
INDIANAPOLIS — It’s an incredible story we first brought to you a year ago.
Leon Benson was exonerated from prison after being wrongfully convicted of murder more than 26-years-ago. On Friday, he returned to Indianapolis for a “Rebirth Celebration.”
“I feel so blessed after coming out of this. I could almost cry tears of joy, I’m trying to save them,” said Benson.
Benson was filled with emotion ahead of Friday’s “Rebirth Celebration” at the Indianapolis Liberation Center.
WRTV
“I was in the womb of prison for 25 years, so I was rebirthed. To come back here and to see this, I really feel a deep sense of home,” he said.
On March 9, 2023, Benson became the first person exonerated with the help of the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office Conviction Integrity unit.
Benson’s first-degree murder conviction was vacated by a Marion County judge after a joint re-investigation by the University of San Francisco School of Law Racial Justice Clinic (USFCA) and the Conviction Integrity Unit.
“This is an anniversary. I was liberated, exonerated. Exempt. This is restorative justice,” said Benson.
WRTV
At just 22-years-old, Benson was wrongfully convicted for the 1998 murder of Kasey Shoen, who was shot five times while in his car in the 1300 block of North Pennsylvania Avenue.
According to the USFCA, the case against Benson rested on a cross-racial identification made in the near darkness from 150 feet by a frightened white newspaper carrier and the equally questionable identification by a man from the neighborhood with a history of mental illness and who held a grudge against Benson.
PREVIOUS | Man released from prison 25 years after murder for wrongful conviction (wrtv.com)
“A voice came to me and said ‘Leon, Kasey Schoen is gone, his family don’t have him. I know you’re innocent, but you are becoming selfish right now in your own pain. You got a chance even though you in the lowest part of the prison,’” Benson said Friday.
10 of Benson’s nearly 25 years in prison were spent in solitary confinement, but even as he talked about his time behind bars on Friday, Benson was anything but bitter.
WRTV
“You can’t be bitter if you’re grateful, they just don’t co-exist,” he said.
This message fills the pages of his new book launched at Friday’s celebration Letters of Gratitude: I Am Because We Are” (Iskra Books, 2024).
“I wrote the letters of gratitude three months before I got out,” Benson said. “I had to put that in a book to let people know that I acknowledge you. That I didn’t do that alone.”
Benson says he’s grateful, for so many that stood by his side — his sister, children, his mentors behind bars, and Kasey’s sister, Kolleen Schoen-Bunch, who still supported Benson through her own family’s pain.
“It’s getting justice for Kasey so he can rest in peace because he hasn’t for 25 years since the wrong person was charged,” said Schoen-Bunch. “We just want justice for everyone. We can’t give back to Leon what was taken from him, but we can try to make his life better.”
wrtv
A better life now with a bigger mission.
“I would be less than who I am if I didn’t come put a light on it and represent those people who are still out there. Those brothers that are behind walls, that’s yelling out, that’s not being heard, who has been invisible. I’m no longer invisible. My chain is gone,” said Benson.
Friday’s celebration also included a panel with Benson and others, including Schoen-Bunch; Kelly Bauder of the CIU; family members of the incarcerated; Benson’s daughter, Kelly Bluitt; along with academics, lawyers, and community organizers involved in his case.
WRTV
Benson’s monograph also launched Friday.
His book is available at all major retailers.
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis isn’t known for skyscrapers, but these are the 10 tallest buildings
See inside construction of Signia Hotel in Downtown Indianapolis
IndyStar got an inside look at the work in progress on the newest hotel that is rising above the Indy skyline.
While Indianapolis isn’t exactly known for it’s tall buildings, we do have quite a few that tower above the city. The tallest, is visible nearly 10.5 miles outside the city.
These are the 10 tallest buildings in Indianapolis, according to Skyscraper Center.
1. Salesforce Tower
Salesforce Tower is the tallest building in Indianapolis. It’s located at 111 Monument Circle.
Construction on this building was completed in 1990. The office building boasts 49 floors and towers over the city at 701 feet tall.
It has also been known as the Chase Tower, the Bank One Tower and the American Fletcher Bank Tower.
2. One America Tower
The second tallest building in Indianapolis is the One America Tower. It is located at 200 N Illinois St., has 38 floors and is 533 feet tall.
The building was completed in 1982 and was previously known as the American United Life Insurance Tower.
3. One Indiana Square
The One Indiana Square building is the third tallest building in Indianapolis at 504 feet tall.
The building was completed in 1969 and has 37 floors. It has also been previously known as Union Planters Bank, Indiana National Bank Tower, INB Tower and NBD Bank Tower.
4. Signia by Hilton Indianapolis
Signia by Hilton, previously known as the Indianapolis Convention Center Hotel, is currently under construction, but is the fourth largest building in Indy.
The building is set to have 37 floors and be 441 feet tall once construction is complete, which is expected to happen in 2026.
5. Market Tower
Market Tower, located at 10 West Market Street, is the fifth tallest building in Indianapolis at 421 feet.
The building was completed in 1988 and has 32 floors. It has also been known as the Mansur Center.
6. 300 North Meridian
300 North Meridian, which shares a name with its address, is 408 feet tall and has 28 floors.
The building was completed in 1989 and is the sixth tallest building in Indianapolis.
7. BMO Plaza
BMO Plaza, located at 135 North Pennsylvania St. is 401 feet tall.
The building has 31 floors and was completed in 1988. It has also been known as M&I Plaza, First Indiana Plaza and Marshall & Isley Plaza.
8. JW Marriott Indianapolis Downtown
Perhaps one of the most visually recognizable on this list, the JW Mariott Indianapolis, located at 10 South West St. is the eighth tallest building in Indy.
The large blue hotel was completed in 2011, stands at 376 feet and has 34 floors. Over the years, the hotel has put giant images on the side of the building to celebrate current events in both sports and pop culture.
9. City-County Building
The City-County Building, located at 200 East Washington St. is the the ninth tallest building in Indianapolis.
The building was completed in 1962 and is 372 feet tall with 28 floors.
10. 101 West Ohio
The tenth and final building on this list is 101 West Ohio. The building, which shares a name with its address, is 360 feet tall and has 22 floors.
The office building was completed in 1987 and was previously known as Old National Financial Center.
Katie Wiseman is a trending news reporter for IndyStar and Midwest Connect. Contact her at klwiseman@usatodayco.com. Follow her on Bluesky @katiewiseman and X, formerly Twitter, at @itskatiewiseman.
Indianapolis, IN
IMPD reinforces downtown safety as crowds grow with warmer weather
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana Metropolitan Police Department is reinforcing downtown safety as crowds grow with warmer weather.
This comes after a violent weekend that included an early Monday morning shooting, and in a separate incident, an officer and a security guard were hit by an impaired driver.
Police say the shooting that happened Monday near Maryland and Meridian Streets was caused by a fight that broke out at bar in the area and escalated into a shooting at a nearby parking lot. IMPD says a woman has been arrested in connection with the shooting.
IMPD Downtown District Commander Shane Foley says officers were able to take control of the situation quickly.
“Officers were there when the shooting occured, and then because of their presence, they were able to make a very quick arrest, and arrest another individual for possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon,” Foley said. He says the response from the officers is exactly what he expects to see as the temperatures continue to get warmer.
People who like to spend their time downtown on the weekends say they enjoy that there are things to do, but think the violence is getting out of hand.
“It just gets crazy at night for real, and then, everybody just drinking and stuff and they can’t control their liquor,” Indianapolis resident Schuyler Landrum said.
“Chill out man, you gotta know your limits when you’re drinking because stuff like that can happen. People who don’t go to clubs and stuff, we’re trying to have fun downtown but you guys are getting wild and drunk and stuff, so lets just help each other man,” resident Peyton Bush said.
Officers say they hear the public’s concerns and are doing what they can to prevent incidents before they escalate. Last week, IMPD announced the installation of new public cameras downtown to help assist with monitoring and crime prevention.
“If you come downtown and you engage in illegal activity, because we have people all over the place, the likelihood of you being arrested is increased. We’re being very proactive with our policing, and if we need to be reactive in making arrests, we’re doing that as well,” Foley said.
People who are frequently downtown say that they hope things get better, but one man says he believes he’s noticed an increase in crime downtown, especially among the youth. “Start thinking before you act, you know? It’s just the way it is,” he said.
“Our officers are working diligently to keep everybody safe. As we have more events, we’re going to have more officers downtown. We want people to not only be safe, but feel safe, visiting, living, working in Downtown Indianapolis,” Foley said.
Indianapolis, IN
Mild temperatures to give way to severe storms in central Indiana | Mar. 9, 2026
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Mild temperatures are expected Monday, with severe storms possible mid-week.
Flooding threat continues:
Rivers remain elevated across southern portions of central Indiana, where widespread minor to moderate river flooding continues south of Interstate 70. This is likely to persist well into the end of the week, with renewed rain chances moving in Tuesday and continuing into Wednesday.
Today:
High pressure will keep us quiet across much of the state, with mostly sunny skies. Expect high temperatures to reach the low 70s, which could tie or push very close to the old record in Indianapolis (72° set in 1878).
Tuesday:
Temperatures will be even warmer heading into Tuesday with a strong southerly wind. Highs will reach the mid-70s. The record high for that Tuesday is 74°, set back in 2009.
Strong storms Tuesday/Wednesday:
A cold front will move through the state and trigger scattered showers and thunderstorms late Tuesday night into the overnight hours.
Some isolated strong storms will be possible late Tuesday night. Much of the state is under a Level 2 out of 5 risk for severe storms, with all modes of severe weather in play.
Heavy rain Wednesday:
A second round of showers and thunderstorms will move through on Wednesday. While some damaging wind gusts could occur, the primary concern will be heavy rain and the ongoing flooding risk. Much of the state could see anywhere from a half inch to an inch and a half of rain, with some locally higher amounts that will worsen river flooding in the southern half of the state.
7 day forecast:
Sharply colder temperatures will move in for Thursday, as highs fail to get out of the 40s. We should see a nice bump in temperatures by Friday and through the weekend, with highs in the mid to upper 50s for Friday and Saturday, and potentially near 60° on Sunday.
The end of the weekend looks soggy, with the potential for a significant cooldown in the wake of our Sunday system early next week.
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