Herbert "Chuck" Coomer
November 21, 2007
Indianapolis, Indiana
The cab behind crime scene tape
TheIndyChannel.com
Body Found In Cab's Back Seat
No Identification Immediately Made; Driver Didn't Return From Run
UPDATED: 3:11 pm EST November 21, 2007
INDIANAPOLIS -- A body was found in the back seat of a taxicab on Indianapolis' east side Wednesday morning, police said.
Police haven't identified the body. The cab's driver has been missing since late Tuesday night, when he was supposed to pick up a customer, 6News' Jack Rinehart reported; it wasn't clear whether the driver completed that run.
The driver's colleagues went looking for him Wednesday morning. At about 9:40 a.m., one of them found the taxi, with the body inside, in front of a vacant house in the 6100 block of East 30th Street, police said.
A large amount of blood was found on the trunk and the doors of the car, but police were not immediately sure about the manner of death, which they characterized as "traumatic," Rinehart reported.
Homicide detectives were waiting for the crime lab to process the scene Wednesday afternoon.
The cab belongs to A&T Cab Co., which has offices at 3700 North Shadeland Ave.
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WISH-TV8
Man Found Dead in Back of Cab
Posted: Nov 21, 2007 08:50 AM
Homicide Investigation
INDIANAPOLIS - Police are investigating a man found dead in the back of a cab at 6110 East 30th Street. (map)
Police still aren't saying who the man was or whether the he was driving the cab.
At around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday morning police were called out to 30th and Catherwood Avenue regarding an unconcious person.
When police arrived they found blood on the back of a cab parked in a driveway. When they looked inside the cab they found the body of a white male in the back seat. The victim suffered trauma to his throat and head area and was declared dead at the scene.
The cab's last run was to a bar on east 10th Street at 1:30 a.m. The cab driver reported that he was taking his fare to 3029 North Catherwood. There is no such address.
When the cab driver was not heard from following that run, the cab company sent someone out to look for the driver. That person found the cab near 30th and Catherwood and found a white male in the back seat.
At this point police are not saying whether or not the person found in the back of the cab is the cab driver.
24-Hour News Source has a crew on the scene and will bring you more information as it is available.
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Suspect Kenneth Bartley
WTHR Channel 13
Arrest made in east side taxi death
Posted: Nov 21, 2007 09:19 AM
Taxi murder
Steve Jefferson/Eyewitness News
Indianapolis - The man suspected of killing a local cab driver had his driver's license suspended for life and a lengthy criminal history.
Police made an arrest overnight in the death of Herbert "Chuck" Coomer. Coomer was found dead in the back seat of a cab on the city's east side Wednesday morning.
IMPD Detective Sergeant Mark Prater arrested Kenneth Bartley for the murder of Herbert Coomer. IMPD identified Bartley as a person of interest in the investigation of the murder.
Bartley, 47, was said to be driving a maroon '89 or '90 pick up truck with a plywood sign in the back advertising firewood for sale.
A concerned taxi driver found blood on a co-worker's taxi and called police. Metro homicide detectives responded to the 6100 block of East 30th, finding a body in the backseat early Wednesday morning.
"Found a white male in the backseat with a great amount of trauma to the head and face," said Lt. Jeff Duhamell, IMPD.
An A and T Cab driver picked up a passenger at an East 10th Street bar around 1:30 Wednesday morning. The passenger gave a phony address near East 30th and Catherwood Avenue. The cab company never heard from the driver again.
Frank Somerville lives nearby. He says he witnessed two men wrestling in the driveway next door a few feet from the cab.
"One was holding the other one down and that's it. I was going to get cigarettes. The dude said, 'Help,' but he said it like they were playing and when I came back they were in the same situation, same spot," he said.
Now homicide detectives believe that same struggle may be tied to murder. Crime Lab workers put down several evidence markers. During the investigation, officers suddenly expanded the crime scene, putting up more police tape.
"Possible footprints that have blood on them and that's what we are looking at and that is why we expanded the crime scene here," said Lt. Duhammel.
Even after returning home and seeing the same to men struggling in the driveway, Frank Somerville never thought it would end with one of them dead. "I got daughters and kids who stay here," Somerville said.
http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?s=7392942
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Indianapolis Star
November 22, 2007
Man arrested in cab driver's death
Police have arrested a man in connection with the death of A & T Rainbow Cab driver Herbert “Chuck’ Coomer, 53.
Coomer was found dead on the Northeastside early Wednesday in the back seat of his taxi. Police are considering his death a homicide.
Kenneth R. Bartley, 47, was arrested early this morning by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Police have not released details of his arrest or how Coomer died.
The 2000 Ford Taurus was found at 9:40 a.m. Wednesday in the driveway in the 6100 block of East 30th Street. Another cabdriver found Coomer, after noticing blood on the taxi´s trunk, according to police.
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WISH-TV8
Police: Man Killed Cab Driver While on House Arrest
Posted: Nov 23, 2007 01:47 PM
INDIANAPOLIS - A man arrested in connection with the murder of an Indianapolis cab driver was supposed to be on house arrest at the time of the murder.
Kenneth Bartley is accused of killing cab driver Herbert "Chuck" Coomer.
Police won't reveal details of how he left house arrest undetected or the specific reason he was under house arrest.
Coomer's body was found in the back seat of a cab parked in the driveway of Bartley's home near 30th and Catherwood Wednesday morning.
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WISH-TV
Department Says They Searched for Suspect on Night of Cab Driver Homicide
Posted: Nov 26, 2007 02:14 PM
By Gene Rodriguez
24-Hour News 8
INDIANAPOLIS - The Marion County Prosecutor's office expects to file formal murder charges against a man who, police say, killed a cab driver while supposed to be on house arrest.
Kenneth Bartley was sentenced to house arrest and electronic alcohol monitoring for a domestic battery conviction in 2006. Metro police have arrested Bartley at least 8 times for driving drunk and he's awaiting trial for the most recent arrest in July.
Until last Tuesday night, Brian Barton Executive Director for the Marion County Community Corrections says they really had no problems with Bartley.
But at about 10 p.m. that night, Bartley sent a signal here letting them know he was violating the terms of his home detention. He wasn't home so they started making calls.
"We called the house several times, called his cell phone, place of business, called family members, called the ex-wife, no one had seen him," said Barton.
Police say at about 1:30 Wednesday morning, Bartley called for a cab from a bar. Cab driver Herbert Coomer picked Bartley up and was supposed to take him home.
It was later that morning fellow cab drivers found Coomer dead in the back seat of his own cab.
About the same time, community corrections talked to Bartley's brother.
"(Bartley's brother) said that he (Bartley) was an emotional wreck said he had some legal issues and his brother said he was crying," said Barton.
Bartley is now in the Marion County jail.
"Most of our violations are what I call crimes upon themselves. They are back to drinking they are back to using drugs. Very few of our folks commit new crimes and new arrests. That hovers around 15%," said Barton.
The two judges who sentenced Bartley to home detention against the prosecutor's requests for jail time were not available for comment. Community Corrections maintains they followed protocol by trying to contact Bartley by phone. The executive director says the next step would have been to obtain an arrest warrant.
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IndyStar.com Metro & State
November 28, 2007
Police: Man stabbed cabbie after ride from bar
By Meagan Ingerson
Prosecutors have charged Kenneth Bartley, 40, with the Nov. 20 murder of 53-year-old cab driver Herbert “Chuck’ Coomer.
Witnesses told police that Bartley called a cab from Hilltop Bar, according to court documents written by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Sgt. Mark Prater.
Coomer was dispatched to a call at Hilltop Bar at 7:55 p.m. He told his dispatcher he took the passenger to the drop-off location at 3029 N. Catherwood Ave., an empty lot near the driveway to Bartley´s apartment, but did not contact the dispatcher again.
Coomer´s cab was found the next day by another cab driver at 6110 E. 30th St., who called police when he saw blood on the cab´s trunk.
Police found Coomer´s body in the back seat. He had been stabbed to death.
At the time of the killing, Bartley was midway through a two-year house arrest sentence. He had been convicted on domestic battery and a drunken driving charge.
Call Star reporter Meagan Ingerson at (317) 444-6304.
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WISH-TV8
Nov 28, 2007
Prosecutor: Agency Mishandled Cab Driver Murder Suspect
By Gene Rodriguez
24-Hour News 8
INDIANAPOLIS - The Marion County Prosecutor wants answers from Community Corrections. The agency was supposed to monitor an Indianapolis man on house arrest who is now charged with murder.
Metro Police have arrested Bartley at least 8 times for driving drunk. A judge revoked his driver license for life and in August of last year, Bartley began his electronic alcohol monitoring. But even while on the monitor, police arrested him for driving drunk.
A judge sentenced him to house arrest.
Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi says his office did not agree with the house arrest sentence, "We did not think that home detention and monitoring by Community Corrections was the appropriate sentence so our line prosecutor specifically objected to that sentence."
While on house arrest police say he killed cab driver Herbert Coomer over cab fare.
"We've done everything we've possibly could do, at least in our agency," said Community Corrections Director, Brian Barton.
Brizzi says that's not true. He says Bartley had numerous house arrest violations.
"In just the limited amount of information we have so far there were 13 separate incidents where the alcohol monitoring was tampered with."
The Community Corrections Director says the monitoring company only confirmed two incidents. He also says Bartley was disciplined.
"Yes he was brought in multiple times to see his home detention officer to work on these issues," said Barton.
The prosecutor's office served community corrections with a subpoena requesting all of Bartley's records to see if there were more violations.
"We have lost faith in the direction that Community Corrections is going," said Brizzi.
Community Corrections maintains they followed protocol and they say they are confident Bartley's monitoring devices were working properly.
A judge has entered a not guilty plea on Bartley's behalf and scheduled his trial for January of next year. He will remain in jail until that time.
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