Court documents detail conversation between Greenwood police, suspect after teen shot at bus stop
GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) — Court documents acquired by News 8 indicate an 18-year-old man accused of shooting a teen waiting for a bus admitted to the murder in a conversation with police.
Tyrique Radford El has not yet been formally charged for the Thursday death of 16-year-old Temario Stokes Jr. but is still listed as in custody at the Johnson County Jail. Court records list Radford El as a Whiteland resident and he told police he had just moved from East St. Louis, Ill.
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Stokes, a sophomore at Whiteland Community High School, was shot just before 7 a.m. at the intersection of Providence and Winterwood drives. He had been shot multiple times and was pronounced deceased at 7:10 a.m.
Detectives began looking for a suspect and a motive.
After speaking with the parents of the victim, they learned that the victim had an issue with another juvenile regarding a dirt bike stolen from the victim a few weeks before the shooting.
In the presence of his mother, police spoke to the other juvenile. He described the dirt bike story as “a misunderstanding” but that the victim had accused him of taking the dirt bike.
Around the same time, police found Radford El running near a cornfield. The juvenile described Radford El as a friend, according to court documents.
When police found Radford El around 10:40 a.m., he was wet, did not have any shoes on and was covered in mud and grass.
Investigators said Radford El told them he had been exercising for an explanation for why he was muddy and wet. He later said it was because he was cleaning off a bench press before working out.
“Shouldn’t never left the corn,” Radford El allegedly said to himself while laughing.
Police say Radford El asked for a lawyer before eventually telling officers he wanted to talk about the “killing and stuff,” according to court documents. Police say he signed a waiver after again being read his Miranda warning.
Radford El told police that Stokes had recently pulled a gun on him and a friend. He said the last time he saw Stokes, Stokes had a gun on his left hip. When he saw Stokes on the day of the shooting, Radford El said he saw Stokes place his hand near his left pocket.
“But you can’t call that self-defense though, because he didn’t pull it,” Radford El told investigators, according to court documents.
Radford El told police he fired at Stokes, then fired more rounds when Stokes turned around to run away.
