Father and Son Charged in Football Star's Death as Witness Says 'Wilson's Death Had Been a Mistake'

A father and son have been charged in Indiana over the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Yorktown High School football player Christopher Wilson Jr., whom investigators believe was mistaken for another man.

Dairus T. Thompson II, 40, and his 17-year-old son, Dairus E. Thompson III, face charges of aiding, inducing or causing murder, conspiracy to commit murder and obstruction of justice in connection with Wilson's death.

Wilson was found with multiple gunshot wounds inside a vehicle in the 1400 block of East Cromer Avenue in Muncie shortly before 3am on 5 October. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators believe the teenager was not the intended target. The charges are allegations, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Investigators Believe Wilson Was Mistaken for Another Man

According to a probable cause affidavit, police believe Wilson was mistaken for a 27-year-old Muncie man who resembled him and had been involved in a dispute with people associated with Thompson II.

The man believed to have been the intended target was known to frequent the area where Wilson was shot, the affidavit said.

Wilson had gone to dinner with a female friend and was sitting with her in a vehicle outside her home when the shooting happened.

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage that allegedly showed a white GMC SUV matching Thompson II's vehicle near the scene before travelling towards Farmland, where he lives. Cellphone data also placed devices belonging to Thompson II and a juvenile relative near the shooting scene and later in the Parker City area, according to the affidavit.

A video recovered from a phone allegedly showed Thompson II giving step-by-step instructions on how to carry out a drive-by shooting, investigators said.

A witness told police that Thompson II later indicated Wilson had been mistaken for the man with whom his associates had been feuding. Another witness reportedly said Thompson II acknowledged that his son had carried out the shooting.

Father and Son Face Three Charges Each

Court records show both Thompsons have been charged with aiding, inducing or causing murder, conspiracy to commit murder and obstruction of justice.

Investigators believe Thompson III fired the shots, while his father helped coordinate the attack, including by driving a vehicle used before and after the gunfire. Those claims are allegations contained in court documents.

Muncie police and members of the Detroit Violent Gang Task Force arrested Thompson III in Michigan on 29 October. He remained there awaiting extradition proceedings to Indiana, according to police.

Thompson II appeared in Delaware Circuit Court 1 on 2 November and was ordered held without bond. Thompson told the court he planned to hire an attorney.

His next hearing is scheduled for 9am on 14 December. A pre-trial hearing is listed for 27 January 2027, with a jury trial scheduled for 6 April.

Police Examine Alleged Firearms Exchange

Investigators are also examining the alleged involvement of Austin Eric Wayne Garrett, 29, of rural Yorktown, in the handling of firearms after Wilson's death.

According to an affidavit, Garrett allegedly exchanged firearms with the Thompsons after the shooting. One was a .45-calibre handgun that the father and son reportedly wanted him to 'get rid of'.

Messages recovered from Thompson II's phone allegedly discussed the firearms exchange. When questioned on 19 October, Garrett told detectives he had not received the .45-calibre handgun, the affidavit said.

After being arrested on unrelated drug charges on 25 October, Garrett acknowledged that guns he had received from the Thompsons were at his home, according to the affidavit.

Garrett faces allegations of obstruction of justice and assisting a criminal in connection with the investigation, but the Delaware County prosecutor's office will decide whether to file formal charges against him in the Wilson case. He was separately charged on 30 October with dealing in a narcotic drug, possession of a narcotic drug, neglect of a dependent and maintaining a common nuisance.

Wilson was a senior and defensive end at Yorktown High School who had committed to play football for West Virginia University in 2027.

His death prompted an investigation by Muncie police, who said the case remained active as detectives pursued evidence and examined the alleged roles of those connected to the shooting.