A 35-year-old Indianapolis man is facing attempted murder charges after police say he rushed at his neighbor with a knife outside an apartment complex on East 12th Street and stabbed him repeatedly for no apparent reason. Robert Stevenson was taken into custody after a SWAT team entered his apartment and found him scraped and bloody inside, with a knife resting in his bathroom sink.
The attack happened at roughly 8:45 a.m. last Friday near an apartment complex in the 200 block of East 12th Street, as the victim was walking to his car, according to Fox 59. Court documents obtained by the station say Stevenson was muttering to himself before he pulled out a knife and rushed the victim, who fell to the ground and was stabbed numerous times. Emergency dispatch logs show the initial stabbing report was received at 8:46 a.m. that morning and classified as a Medical Priority 2 rapid response, according to VantageAI, which tracks real-time emergency dispatch data.
No Known Connection Between the Two Men
The victim had seen Stevenson around the apartment complex before but had never spoken to him, the report notes. Investigators say the assault had no discernible reason, based on statements from the victim and surveillance footage reviewed during the investigation.
After the stabbing, police traced Stevenson to a nearby apartment, and a SWAT team raided the unit. Officers found a bloody washcloth next to the knife in the bathroom sink and observed a blood trail running down the hallway leading to that bathroom. Several witnesses identified Stevenson as the suspect, according to police. Court documents reviewed by the station contained no information about whether Stevenson spoke to investigators after his arrest.
Charges Filed
Stevenson has been charged with attempted murder, a Level 1 felony, and aggravated battery, a Level 3 felony.
Fox 59 reported that Stevenson could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted of the Level 1 felony.
Indianapolis Crime Trends
Axios reported that aggravated assaults in Indianapolis fell 28.8% in the first six months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, while homicides declined 15%.
The Marion County Prosecutor's Office has also touted its track record in violent felony trials. The office reported a murder conviction rate above 90% in jury trials for 2025, marking the third consecutive year the county has cleared that threshold, according to WTHR, which noted Prosecutor Ryan Mears reported 38 convictions out of 42 murder trials in 2025.
