4 charged in shooting death of 15-year-old boy in Muncie
MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — Formal charges were filed on Monday against four suspects, including two juveniles, in connection with the shooting death of a 15-year-old boy in Muncie last week.
Two adults, identified as Dasha Eckford, 19, and Ricky Nathan, 19, along with two juveniles, Robert Graham, 17, and K-Shaun English, 16, are faced with several charges in Delaware Circuit Court 5. The juveniles are being charged as adults.
All four suspects face felony charges of conspiracy to commit robbery resulting in death, and obstruction; except Graham, who is also charged with aiding, inducing, or causing an offense.
Additionally, Graham is charged with murder and robbery resulting in serious bodily injury. English is also facing an additional charge of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury.
According to court documents, the prosecutor’s office is seeking permission from the Juvenile Court to file adult charges against a fifth suspect, a 14-year-old boy, for his alleged involvement in the killing of Latajohne Phillips.
Just after 10 p.m. on Aug. 14, a caller reported to Delaware County Dispatch she had heard a loud boom as she was walking her dog in the 2900 block of North Elgin Street. As she was walking her dog, she located a person in the bush behind the front office of Creekside Apartments.
Officers arrived and located Phillips suffering from gunshot wounds, one to his head and one to his left leg. He was taken to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis, where he died from his injuries.
Muncie Police Department officers discovered shell casings and one live round of ammunition at the scene. A witness residing in the apartment building reported hearing several gunshots and observing people fleeing south from the building toward Elgin Manor Apartments.
Video surveillance recorded six people leaving the Elgin Manor Apartments on foot at 9:44 p.m., prior to the shooting. About 11 minutes later, the footage shows five of them running back toward the apartments from Creekside Apartments.
The sixth person, wearing camo-striped pants and tan slippers and holding a blanket over his head, was seen entering Elgin Manor Apartments. Officers observed the suspect, later identified as Nathan, leaving the building during their surveillance of the apartments and subsequently detained him.
Officers continued to monitor the apartment building and, using a portable PA system, instructed anyone inside to exit. Graham, English, and “R.W.”, who matched the description of the suspects from the surveillance video, exited the apartment and were taken into custody.
Eckford approached the officers at the scene and informed them that she resided in the apartment. During an interview with investigators, she confirmed her presence in the surveillance photos from Elgin Manor Apartments.
Eckford told investigators that she had planned to “make a play” with a few of the males in the group but grew suspicious of the situation. She stayed near Gillbeke and waited for them to return. The 19-year-old admitted to hearing two gunshots and then seeing all the males return with unusual expressions on their faces.
When she asked about what had happened, they did not provide an explanation.
Officers recovered several firearms and collected clothing items from all those involved.
