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Charges have been filed against four teenagers for their roles in the murder of a 15-year-old on Aug. 14, according to the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office.
The suspects were identified as 16-year-old K-shaun English, 17-year-old Robert Graham, 19-year-old Daisha Eckford, and 19-year-old Ricky Nathan.
The victim, 15-year-old LataJohne Phillips, was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds at the Creekside Apartments (also known as the Latitude Apartments, according to Google Maps), on the northeast side of Muncie. He was taken to the hospital where he later died.
Surveillance footage and witnesses in the area reported seeing six individuals running from Creekside to the Elgin Manor Apartments, where they entered one of the apartments.
Eckford, who lived in the apartment, told police the group was going to “make a play” and headed towards the Creekside Apartments. Not trusting the situation, Eckford hung back but reported hearing gunshots before seeing the group return, according to police reports.
No one would tell her what had happened, she said.
When asked, Eckford identified which of the males was seen carrying a gun in the surveillance video.
Inside her apartment, officers found several items of clothing the suspects were seen wearing as well as multiple firearms and live rounds of ammunition.
Graham was charged with murder (with a firearm sentence enhancement for using a firearm during a robbery), robbery resulting in serious bodily injury (level 2 felony), conspiracy to commit robbery resulting in serious bodily injury (level 2 felony), and obstruction of justice (level 6 felony).
English was charged with robbery resulting in serious bodily injury (level 2 felony), conspiracy to commit robbery resulting in serious bodily injury (level 2 felony), aiding, inducing, or causing robbery resulting in serious bodily injury (level 2 felony), and obstruction of justice (level 6 felony).
Eckford was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery resulting in serious bodily injury (level 2 felony), aiding, inducing, or causing robbery resulting in serious bodily injury (level 2 felony), and obstruction of justice (level 6 felony).
Nathan was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery resulting in serious bodily injury (level 2 felony), aiding, inducing, or causing robbery resulting in serious bodily injury (level 2 felony), and obstruction of justice (level 6 felony).
The prosecutor’s office is also pursuing charges in the juvenile court against a 14-year-old for his alleged participation in events surrounding the murder.
The prosecuting attorney for the county, Eric Hoffman, cannot comment further on the case per ethical rules in the state.
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