Update: On July 15, 2026, a jury convicted Octavionn Long of the 2022 murder of Naya Marguerite Ruffin. Long’s sentencing is scheduled for Aug., 7, 2026.
Before she leaves this earth, Lisa Thomas says she wants to see justice brought to the people who took her daughter from this world. So Tuesday’s news that an arrest was made in the 2022 home invasion homicide of Naya Marguerite Ruffin brought tears of joy to Thomas’ eyes.
Thomas, who lives in Georgia, said she and her Indianapolis family have been working hard over the last two years to keep Ruffin’s memory alive and the case at the forefront for IMPD detectives.
“I’m constantly contacting police,” Thomas told IndyStar. “Cause when nothing’s happening they will close your case. I know you have other things going on with other killings, but don’t forget about my daughter.”
Finally, a DNA hit in the criminal justice system connected an Indianapolis man to the homicide after he was arrested for another crime. Theo Ruffin, Naya’s father, said the family is elated after two and half years.
“Big thanks to the detective on the case, Matthew Melkey,” Theo Ruffin, who lives in Indianapolis, told IndyStar. “He didn’t give up, even with other things going on within the department. They told us murder cases were slow, and at times it felt like we weren’t a priority.”
Naya Marguerite Ruffin, dead at 22
Theo Ruffin said losing his precious baby girl has been a journey because of what she’s left behind — his granddaughter, Novah Nelson, who has to grow up without her mother.
Novah is four years old now and living with her father. As she gets older, Novah is asking more questions about her mom.
“Everybody still has Naya’s pictures on their phones or just around the house,” Thomas said. “There was one time she said, ‘I wanna talk to my mommy!’ How do I explain that she can’t talk to her mommy? I just went to the bathroom and cried.”
Thomas said she’s been dealing with depression, heart problems and anxiety since her daughter’s killing.
“The first year I used to tell myself she was on vacation,” Thomas said. “That worked for a while, but then year two I saw a therapist because the reality is she’s not coming back.”
Every year since Ruffin’s death, the family celebrates her birthday at her gravesite with a balloon release. They try to be strong together, but there are moments, especially as Novah grows up, that make it hard.
“It makes me sad looking at her [Novah],” Theo Ruffin said. “She’ll never know how beautiful and good her mom was and how much her mom really loved just being her mom, ya know? I’m going to miss her being this funny and strong minded person. Her murder was so senseless.”
Home invasion, robbery and shooting
On Friday, April 29, 2022, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police were called to the 5700 block of San Paulo Circle, near I-465 and East 56th Street on the city’s northeast side on a report of a person shot. There, they found Ruffin, who had been shot in the chest, outside of her apartment.
Ruffin was taken to IU Health Methodist Hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
Ruffin’s boyfriend and Novah’s father, Kevin Nelson, lived with Ruffin in the apartment. Nelson told detectives he was sleeping in their bedroom and Ruffin was sleeping on a couch in the living room because the couple had had an argument earlier. Nelson said he woke up when he heard glass shattering and the sound of Ruffin screaming.
According to court documents, when Nelson opened his bedroom door, he was met by a guy who was wearing a ski mask and holding a gun. Nelson could see another person inside the apartment. He and the man with the gun got into a tussle and fell to the floor, while the man repeatedly asked, “What’s in here?”
Nelson then heard a gunshot inside the apartment and another guy stated, “Come on, we gotta go.”
The man fighting Nelson told him to open a safe next to his bed and Nelson gave him the keys. Nelson told detectives he believed the man took the money, ammunition and a gun that were inside the safe.
After the men left, Nelson ran to check on Novah, who was asleep. When he realized Ruffin was not inside, he ran out to find her. He saw the two guys fleeing northwest through the complex and then saw a neighbor administering aid to Ruffin.
Detectives sent blood samples, which belonged to one of the suspects, along with DNA from under Nelson’s fingernails to the crime lab.
DNA hit matched with 19-year-old Octavionn Long
According to court documents, a DNA match for the samples came back on Dec. 7, 2023. The match belonged to Octavionn Long, 19, who was at the Branchville Correctional Facility after being sentenced in September 2023 for other crimes. Detectives requested a new DNA sample from Long on March 15, 2024 and interviewed him inside the prison.
Long said he had never been to Ruffin’s address and didn’t know her, Nelson or anyone else inside the apartment that night. On April 25, 2024, the crime lab matched Long’s DNA to that found at the scene.”They connected the DNA back in April,” Thomas said. “But the prosecutor kept asking for more evidence. So, police contacted me and we were trying to submit it over and over with more. We submitted three times and I guess third time’s a charm, because yesterday, they called and said they were going to submit it.”
Thomas said she can now take a breath and find a little bit more happiness and joy because of the arrest. She joined a group for mothers against gun violence, many of whom are still waiting for answers to their cases.
“There’s people in the group going on 10 years, 12 years and 20 years and don’t have closure,” Thomas said. “No parent wants that.”
The family said they hope other people involved in Ruffin’s killing can also be brought to justice.
Long was charged by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office with murder, burglary and robbery. His initial hearing is set for Nov. 26, 2024.
Anyone with information about the shooing is asked to contact Detective Matthew Melkey at Matthew.Melkey@indy.gov or at 317-327-3475. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.
IndyStar journalist Sarah Nelson contributed to this report.Jade Jackson is a public safety reporter for IndyStar. Contact her at Jade.Jackson@IndyStar. Follow her on Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Man convicted for 2022 murder, home invasion after DNA evidence found
Reporting by Jade Jackson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jade Jackson, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
