Indianapolis, IN: Carpet leads investigators to murder suspect

A man has been arrested for murder of his roommate following the discovery of a body rolled up in carpet outside a north side apartment building.

By Ray Cortopassi

2:33 PM EST, February 15, 2011


Metro police detectives have arrested an Indianapolis man they believe killed his boyfriend and wrapped his body in a piece of carpeting and left it near a dumpster on the north side.

The suspect is identified as 40-year-old Earl Speller, who is facing a preliminary charge of murder. Homicide detectives say Speller confessed to the killing, which happened on Feb. 3rd. The victim, a 36-year-old man, has not been officially identified by police, who are trying to notify his family members. His body was discovered by a maintenance worker at the Howland Manor Apartments, 3753 North Meridian Street on Monday morning.

In addition to the orange seal order sticker on the door of Apartment 204, silk flowers pay tribute to person who once lived inside, placed there by the friends of the man they knew as Fantasia.

"She always made you laugh, whenever you were down," said his friend, Valerie.

A maintenance worker told police the carpet was consistent in color and fiber to only four units in that building. A check of those apartments led them to the home of Speller. Officers noticed "a large section of carpet that was missing," saw blood stains and detected a "strong odor of decomposing flesh."

Neighbors say the couple's fights were frequent and sometimes violent.

"It's a terrible loss," said Christopher Russell. "To have a friend being killed by another friend."

Brown's friends, Valerie and Russell, were inside the apartment before they knew of the murder, not knowing of the death or of a body in the closet, only that Fantasia was missing.

"I was asking where is Fantasia?" Valerie said. "She's missing. She (the victim) would come to me and another lady calling us 'Mama.' I haven't seen here, where is she at? She's gone. Oh she's gone alright, she's gone alright and you knew it, and all this time, you had our friend in the closet."

Speller told police he killed his boyfriend on February 3rd, adding that he kept the body in the apartment for four days before wrapping him in the carpet and putting him in the closet. Speller said he moved the body to the dumpster behind the building on Monday, February 14th.

Murder charges are expected against Speller who's being held at the Marion County Jail.