Christopher Peterson

Jurors later stated that they believed the shells came from Peterson's gun, but had no evidence Peterson was ever at the crime scene. However, jurors did not know that Peterson's palm print had been taken from the surface of Mills’ car. This would have established his presence at the crime scene, but it was not allowed as evidence because it was regarded as "poisonous fruit" of Peterson's illegal arrest. Jurors in this case and in succeeding cases were also suspicious of the confessions. The sketch circulated by police didn't look at all like Peterson. And the first witness's identification of Peterson as the shooter had wavered.

The murders took place in a number of jurisdictions, and Peterson faced a number of trials in different venues. Peterson had initially confessed and then recanted. He was acquitted in two trials for three of the murders and found guilty of four murders in two subsequent trials. Initially sentenced to death for those murders, his death sentence was commuted in 2004. Ronald J. Harris was also charged and found guilty in two of the murders.

Peterson was granted post-conviction relief and re-sentenced to 120 years in prison December 12, 2004. His sentence was later commuted to 120 years in prison. He is scheduled for release on April 16th, 2051 according to the Indiana Department of Corrections.

This trial was held in April 1992. Prosecution evidence included Peterson's confession, McGee's testimony, and identification of shotgun shells found at the scene. The defense advanced an alibi defense, and stated that McGee had a key to Peterson's apartment and had access to the shotgun. Again highlighted were racial elements of the confession in which Peterson said, "(They) were white people and at the time I had this vengeance. It just snapped."

Peterson, from Gary, and at the time UA from the Marines, and Antwion McGee, 21, were arrested January 29, 1991, after a robbery and an attempted murder of a restaurant manager at the Southlake Mall near Merrillville.

Peterson's first trial in September and October 1991 was for the murders of Lawrence Mills and Rhonda Hammersley.

The second witness who saw Hammersley's murder testified that a shooter fired through an open window of her car at her. She ducked. She felt the weapon's muzzle on her neck, and then a voice said, "All right, that's enough, let's go." The witness had originally identified the shooter as white, and had identified Harris as the shooter. She said that she recalled in January 1991 that the shooter had an accomplice. The prosecution's position was that Peterson was the shooter and Harris was the accomplice.

At the end of 1991 McGee was tried for the January 1991 robbery and shooting of the assistant manager of a restaurant at a mall. Peterson participated in this crime. McGee was arrested and led police to Harris and Peterson. According to McGee, Peterson admitted to him shooting at a man in the mall incident, and admitted to the other crimes as well. McGee faced a 50-year sentence, but as part of a deal requiring him to testify against Peterson in forthcoming trials, prosecutors agreed to charge him with a lesser offense carrying an 8-year term.

Between October 30, 1990 and December 18, 1990, there were a series of murders in northern Indiana in which seven people were killed by assault with a shotgun.

Harris was tried in June 1991 for the 13 December 1990 murder of Harchand Dhaliwal. Harris denied he killed Dhaliwal and said Peterson did it. Harris maintained he was merely an innocent bystander. The prosecution stated that Harris had accompanied Peterson during another murder, that of Hammersley. Harris had given a statement to the FBI in which he said he was with Peterson when Hammersley was murdered. But at his trial he denied this was the case. He said he signed the statement because the FBI said he could go home if he signed it. The witness to the Hammersley murder had also identified Harris as the shooter in the Hammersley murder. Harris was convicted.

Obadyah Ben-Yisrayl (born Christopher Dwayne Peterson January 20, 1969) is an American man found guilty of committing four murders and acquitted on three other murder charges related to the "Shotgun Killer" spree in Indiana from October 30, 1990 to December 18, 1990.