INDIANAPOLIS — The man and woman accused of killing a taxi driver in Indianapolis, who served his community for more than two decades, were sentenced after taking plea deals in the 2022 death.
James W.R. Riley pleaded guilty to murder and kidnapping. His was sentenced to 62 years in prison.
Alysianna Martin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
NOTE: The above video is from a previous report on the community outpouring after Filanwaa's death.
Abdukadir Filanwaa was shot and killed Sept. 10, 2022, while on the job.
A 911 caller reported the cab had been parked near 11th and New Jersey streets with its doors open for a prolonged period of time.
Officers from IMPD's Downtown District responded and found a man sitting in the driver's seat of the yellow minivan with the engine still running, according to a police report.
Medics pronounced 55-year-old Filanwaa dead.
According to court documents, video from the cab captures Riley and Martin getting into the cab. Riley can then allegedly be seen pulling a gun, pushing it into the side of Filanwaa and ordering him to drive to a specific location. In the video, police claim you can hear Riley repeatedly ask where the camera is and claiming Filanwaa was not following his directions. Riley can allegedly be heard saying, "You think I'm playing? Do you wanna die? Do you wanna die?"
Also during the drive, there appears to be an argument over $20 Filanwaa had asked for Riley to pay and Riley refused to give it to him.
When the cab is stopped, Riley allegedly asks Filanwaa to turn the lights off. Filanwaa then appears shot, and Riley, according to court documents, can then be seen shooting Filanwaa two more times.
After their arrest, police said Martin and Riley gave conflicting stories and denied having anything to do with the shooting. Police said Riley later admitted to shooting Filanwaa, but that he "did not mean to do it and it was a misunderstanding."
When Riley was arrested, police said Riley admitted a gun found in his bookbag was the one used to shoot Filanwaa. As part of his plea agreement, other charges he faces will be dropped.
Remembering Filanwaa
Filanwaa's co-workers remembered him with a procession outside zTrip in Indianapolis, after his death.
“We want to show the community that we care about our brotherhood of taxi drivers, and we are going to support him,” said Bobbie Liebrandt, the general manager for zTrip.
Liebrandt said Filanwaa worked in the community as a driver for about 25 years to provide for his family.
“In the 25 years I’ve been here, he was the politest driver I’ve ever encountered. He was very friendly, the 'give you the shirt off his back' kind of type,” she said.
Fellow driver Anthony Felumero also came to show his support, saying he doesn’t want Filanwaa to become another statistic.
“I wanted him to have some recognition for all his 25 years of service to this city,” Felumero said.
A couple dozen drivers then drove to a nearby mosque and joined the funeral procession to Crown Hill Cemetery.
At the mosque, the Indianapolis Muslim Community Association honored Filanwaa’s life. The director of the association said Filanwaa moved to America from Somalia for better opportunities.
“He ran away for his safety to just be killed in Indianapolis. It’s very devastating,” said Ahmed Alamine, the imam and director of the Indianapolis Muslim Community Association.
Alamine said many Muslim immigrants work as taxi drivers in the community to make money for their families. He said this recent death has some concerned for their safety.
“There is anger in the community, frustration but there is a lot of confusion,” Alamine said. “My phone is flooded by questions of, ‘What can we do now? If I can’t be safe driving and this is my primary source of income, what would be my alternative?’”