Caden Smith, who was 16 years old at the time of the triple murder, will most certainly spend the rest of his life inside, despite going through what has been described as “a long and challenging road” to get a conviction.

A juvenile offender from Indiana has been punished for the killings of three young men, all of whom he was found guilty of murdering while he was just 16 years old.

Caden Smith, who is now 19 years old, was sentenced to 189 years in prison on Friday by the Indiana Department of Corrections. In August, he was found guilty of multiple charges, including three counts of murder, two counts of felony murder, two counts of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, multiple charges of possessing a firearm or drugs, and resisting law enforcement.

The remains of Abdulla Mubarak, 17, Joseph Thomas, 18, and Michael James, 22, were found on a “path filled with tall grass” on October 12, 2021. Smith was found guilty of the murders of these three individuals and sentenced to life in prison.

All three victims were determined to have several gunshot wounds, and many bullet shells were discovered close to their corpses, as stated by the prosecutor for Marion County, Ryan Mears.

Smith was recognized as a suspect due to the fact that he had spoken with the victims before to the commission of their killings. During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Smith had led the three victims to the area where they were eventually discovered in order to demonstrate to them how a Glock switch works. It is possible to transform a Glock pistol into a machine gun by installing a device known as a Glock switch, which is affixed to the firearm.

According to the prosecution, Smith ended up killing all three of the guys so that he could rob them; the weapon used in the murder was subsequently discovered at his residence.

Nevertheless, obtaining a conviction was not a simple matter since, in 2022, a number of the most important pieces of evidence in the case were thrown out due to a flawed search warrant. He was freed with a GPS monitor, but he was detained once again on his 18th birthday for breaking his release order. According to the detectives, they discovered Snapchat photographs showing Smith with a pistol and narcotics. At the time of his arrest, it was stated that more firearms, narcotics, and ammo were discovered at his residence.

During the time that Smith was found guilty, the prosecutor, Mears, issued a statement in which he said, “It was a long and challenging road for these families, but thanks to the steadfast commitment of the investigators, deputy prosecutors, and the multitude of agencies, justice has been secured for Abdullah, Joseph, Michael, and their families.”

The families of Abdullah, Joseph, and Michael will never get the opportunity to see their children as they mature and go about their lives. According to what he stated at the time, “this verdict firmly establishes that Smith will most likely spend the rest of his life in prison for the crimes that he committed.”

In reference to the punishment, Mears said that “justice was served for Abdullah, Joseph, Michael, and their families.” He concluded by saying, “This significant sentence is a testament to our commitment to holding violent individuals accountable for their actions.”