77-year-old found dead in home was killed by 13-year-old, Indiana cops say

Two 13-year-old boys have been arrested after a 77-year-old woman was found dead by Indianapolis police, officials said.

Officers in Indianapolis were dispatched to a home on Friday, Feb. 11, for a welfare check, police said. When police arrived, they found the body of 77-year-old Cecelia O’Bryan with “injuries consistent with trauma,” according to a news release.

“She didn’t cause anybody any harm. She wasn’t loud, she wasn’t a nuisance,” neighbor Samantha Fowler told WXIN. “She’d come out and there would be cats that run around her house, and she’d be nice to them. She was always really sweet to everyone and everything.”

Two weeks after O’Bryan was found dead, Indianapolis police made two arrests in the case. Officers say one of the 13-year-olds is accused of killing O’Bryan, and another was arrested in a burglary at her home following her death.

Because they are minors, their identities were not publicly disclosed. The Marion County Prosecutor’s Office will determine their charges.

O’Bryan’s funeral was held earlier this week in Indianapolis. An obituary states she was a longtime worker for the Indiana State Board of Health within its water treatment division.

This story was originally published February 25, 2022 at 11:14 AM with the headline "77-year-old found dead in home was killed by 13-year-old, Indiana cops say."