IMPD investigates homicide after woman found dead inside vacant medical building on Indianapolis’ northwest side

What investigators say happened

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department detectives are investigating a homicide after a woman was found dead inside a vacant medical building on the city’s northwest side.

Officers were dispatched around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday to the 3830 block of Shore Drive, near West 38th Street and Interstate 465, for what was initially described as an investigation at a clinic. Police later clarified the site was a vacant medical building.

Inside, officers located an unresponsive woman who was pronounced dead at the scene by medics. The victim was identified as 44-year-old Dawn McCutcheon.

Cause of death and case status

Investigators determined at the scene that the death was a homicide. The Marion County Coroner’s Office reported McCutcheon died from multiple traumatic injuries. Police have not released additional details on the nature of the injuries, the circumstances leading up to the death, or whether any weapon was involved.

No suspect information, arrests, or charges have been publicly announced in connection with the case. Police also have not indicated whether the victim had any known connection to the building where she was found, or whether the location is believed to be central to the events that resulted in her death.

Why the location matters

Investigators have not provided details about how long the building had been vacant or how frequently it is accessed. In cases involving deaths discovered in unoccupied structures, detectives typically work to establish the timeline of when the victim entered the location, who else may have been there, and whether the scene shows evidence of a struggle or movement after the fatal injuries occurred.

Police have not released information on when McCutcheon was last seen alive.

Public assistance request

Detectives are asking anyone with information that could help establish the victim’s last known movements or identify potential witnesses to contact IMPD. Tips can be directed to Detective Christopher Edwards at 317-327-3475 or by email at [email protected]. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.

• Location: 3830 Shore Drive, near West 38th Street and I-465
• Victim: Dawn McCutcheon, 44
• Case designation: Homicide investigation

Any investigation of this kind remains fluid in its early stages, with detectives working to confirm a timeline, identify witnesses, and determine what evidence can be recovered from the scene.

This story will be updated as additional verified details are released by investigators and the coroner’s office.