By GREGG MONTGOMERY
WISH-TV | wishtv.com
Charges were dropped Tuesday, Nov. 18 against a Carmel man who had been charged with a conspiracy to murder his wife, according to a Carmel Police Department investigation.
Darshan R. Soni, who turns 45 today, Nov. 19, was accused of a plot to kill his wife with the help of an employee, Ken Cox, court documents say. Online court records showed he was days away from a trial in Hamilton Superior Court 3.
Matthew Kubacki, a deputy prosecutor in Johnson County, had been appointed special prosecutor in the case. Hamilton County Deputy Prosecutor Joshua Kocher said he is running for prosecutor in 2026, and Soni had contributed to his campaign. Kocher said he does not personally know Soni and has returned the donation, which was why Kocher choose to ask for a special prosecutor to try the case.
Kubacki told News 8 that the case was dismissed because it’s not in the proper venue and could be refiled in Marion County, if that prosecutor chooses to do so.
In an email to News 8, Kubacki said:
“The case was dismissed because proper venue is not in Hamilton County. Once the venue issue became clear, dismissal without prejudice was required under Indiana law. This decision was purely procedural and does not reflect any assessment of the strength of the evidence or the merits of the allegations. As always, it is important to remember that a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
“As special prosecutor, my involvement began after charges had already been filed. During my review, I identified the venue defect, and the appropriate and ethical course of action was to dismiss the case in Hamilton County and forward the materials to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. They will conduct their own independent review and determine whether any charges are warranted.”
As News 8 previously reported, in a probable cause affidavit, Carmel police Sgt. Sean P. Brady said the investigation began after the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department received a tip about the conspiracy on May 10. The tipster reported that Soni asked Cox if he would be willing to kill his wife on May 16, and if the tipster knew where to obtain a silencer. The tipster said he didn’t know where to get a silencer and was “not interested in committing any more crimes,” the affidavit said.
Cox allegedly agreed to help Soni with an alibi by possessing his cellphone at a different location in Indianapolis during the planned murder.
The affidavit says police informed Soni’s wife that she may have been poisoned. She reported noticing a white clumpy substance in her smoothies, which Soni claimed might be dishwashing detergent. His wife reported experiencing unusual symptoms, including nerve pain in November and thyroid issues in February.
Cox, who has not been charged in connection to the plot, cooperated with the police after seeking legal counsel. He wore a recording device during a conversation with Soni at Compass Property Management, Soni’s real estate company on South Meridian Street at West Hanna Avenue on the south side of Indianapolis.
Cox told police about the purchase of a silver Ford Escape, which was intended to be used in the murder. Cox allowed a tracking device to be placed on the SUV.
Cox also told police that Soni had been reading a book about murder and had ordered poison from India. The document also said Soni called the poison “bunk” because it did not “test.”
During a meeting with Cox, Soni reportedly expressed gratitude for being talked out of the murder plot and discussed the possibility of divorce instead. Soni acknowledged the stress he caused Cox and mentioned that he had been on the edge but decided against pursuing violence.
This story was originally published by WISH-TV at wishtv.com/news/crime-watch-8/carmel-mans-charge-of-plotting-to-murder-wife-dismissed-due-to-venue-issue.
