Indianapolis, IN — What began as an ordinary drive on a Friday afternoon ended in unimaginable tragedy for 21-year-old Kentrell “Trell” Settles — a beloved son, athlete, and young man with his whole future ahead of him.
According to court documents, Trell was sitting at a red light near 38th and Georgetown when the light turned green and the car in front of him didn’t move. He gave a simple honk and went around — a moment of everyday frustration that spiraled into something no one could have foreseen.
Police say 23-year-old Deborah Benefiel, the driver of the other car, allegedly became enraged, following Trell’s vehicle and shouting before firing a single fatal shot into his gold Chevy Malibu. That one bullet shattered the back window, piercing through his lung and heart before coming to rest in his chest.
Trell’s girlfriend, seated beside him, tried desperately to save him — climbing into his lap to steer the car half a mile to Donald Avenue in a frantic attempt to get help. But it was too late. Trell was pronounced dead minutes later at Eskenazi Hospital.
Investigators tracked down Benefiel using license plate reader technology, locating her mint-green Ford Escape and the Glock .40-caliber pistol believed to have been used in the shooting. She now faces charges of murder and criminal recklessness.
Authorities say there was no prior connection between the two — no feud, no history — just a moment of anger that cost a young man his life.
Friends describe Trell as a kind-hearted and hardworking young man — a natural athlete with big dreams and a smile that lit up every room. His death has left a deep void in the hearts of his family and community, who are now asking how something so senseless could happen over something so small.
This tragedy has reignited painful questions about the growing culture of anger and impulsive violence plaguing city streets. How did a simple honk — a moment meant to move traffic along — become the spark for another devastating loss?
As candles burn at the makeshift memorial near 38th and Georgetown, the Indianapolis community mourns a life taken too soon. Kentrell “Trell” Settles should still be here — laughing, playing ball, dreaming about the future. Instead, his name joins the too-long list of young lives lost to senseless violence.
May his memory be a reminder — and a call for change.