Shamar Duncan, convicted of murdering Dutch soldier Simmie Poetsema in downtown Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 105 years in prison. Last month, a jury found Duncan guilty of multiple charges, including murder and attempted murder, stemming from the 2022 shooting that killed Poetsema and injured two of his colleagues.
The sentence includes 60 years for murder, 35 years for attempted murder, and 10 years for aggravated battery, all to be served consecutively. During Monday’s hearing, which lasted about an hour and a half, Poetsema’s family members delivered emotional victim impact statements. A video from his fellow soldiers was played in court, and one of his superior officers also spoke.
Poetsema’s mother described her son as someone who “lived life to the fullest” and called his death “senseless.” Duncan, expressing remorse, apologized to the soldiers’ families and told his own family he was sorry for “letting them down.”
The judge determined that aggravating factors, such as Duncan firing into a crowded street “because he was angry,” outweighed mitigating factors like his young age and limited criminal history.
The shooting occurred in the early morning hours of August 27, 2022. Poetsema and his colleagues, part of the Dutch special forces, were returning to their hotel after a night out when they encountered Duncan and his two brothers. Moments earlier, Duncan’s group had attempted to instigate a fight with another group. They then argued with Poetsema’s group, leading to a physical altercation in which one of the soldiers knocked down one of Duncan’s brothers with a punch.
As the Dutch soldiers walked away, Duncan and his brothers retrieved a firearm from their pickup truck, made a U-turn on Meridian Street, and opened fire before speeding away. Police tracked the vehicle using license plate cameras and surveillance footage, leading to Duncan’s arrest.
