Double Murder Suspect Kills Self In Indianapolis Hotel

By John Dodge

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The suspect in a heinous double murder outside of Indianapolis, which led to a lock down at one Indiana college campus and a massive police manhunt, was found dead inside a downtown Indianapolis hotel room on Wednesday.

Lucius "Lu" Hamilton fatally shot his niece, Katherine Giehll on her 31st birthday and her four-year-old son, Raymond Peter Giehll IV, inside their home in suburban Zionsville, an upscale community just north of Indianapolis.

Around 8 a.m., Katherine Giehll was found just inside the home and her son was found in a living room where he had been watching television, police said.

Hamilton then drove south to downtown Indianapolis, where he barricaded himself in a room on the fourth floor at the Hilton Hotel and Suites.

According to Boone County Sheriff Mike Nielsen, Hamilton fired one shot through the door before killing himself with a single shot to the head around 3 p.m.

Police shut down Wabash College, where Hamilton worked, for several hours while authorities searched the area.

Heavily armed officers swarmed the campus and told students and faculty to remain in the library.

Hamilton had been driving a white van, registered to the college, but he was not on campus after the shootings.

Hamilton graduated from Wabash in 1976 and worked in the college's development office, according to the school's website.

Nielsen said investigators believe a dispute over money from a family trust led to the shooting.

He said the trust involved millions of dollars and had been a lingering issue the last few years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report

In:
• Indianapolis