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Kevin Maddox (left) and Amber Brigham (Kokomo Police Department).
The household of an Indiana antheral recovered dormant of a gunshot wound successful 2006 waited years to spot idiosyncratic charged successful transportation to his death. Those charges yet came successful 2023 erstwhile 2 suspects were arrested — but now, those charges person been dismissed.
The crushed appears to beryllium an “ongoing staffing crisis” astatine the prosecutor’s office.
In tribunal documents filed successful Indiana’s Howard County, charges against Kevin Maddox, 48, and Amber Brigham, 36, were dismissed without prejudice. Both had been arrested successful transportation to the shooting decease of 20-year-old Chad Rouse, who was recovered dormant by constabulary astatine his location successful Kokomo connected Nov. 15, 2006. After the lawsuit went cold, investigators revisited the grounds and indicted Brigham and Maddox, who was charged with Rouse’s murder.
Now, Maddox is expected to beryllium released from custody without ever going to trial.
According to reporting by WXIN, a section Fox affiliate, Rouse’s 2006 homicide was portion of a robbery gone wrong. A witnesser astatine the clip had told constabulary that an chartless antheral entered the location with the intent to rob it and Rouse fought with him. Rouse was fatally changeable successful the struggle.
On May 26, 2023, a expansive assemblage indicted Maddox connected charges of murder, robbery resulting successful superior bodily wounded and conspiracy to perpetrate robbery resulting successful superior bodily injury. Brigham was charged with conspiracy to perpetrate robbery resulting successful superior bodily wounded and aiding, inducing oregon causing robbery resulting successful superior bodily injury. They were some arrested days aboriginal and had remained successful custody ever since.
Brigham’s proceedings was scheduled to statesman successful January, but kept getting delayed, WXIN reported. On April 4, Howard County Superior Court Judge Blake Dahl dismissed each charges against her without prejudice and released her from custody. No crushed was provided for the dismissal.
When it came to Maddox, his proceedings was to instrumentality spot connected Tuesday — until his charges were besides dropped, again, without prejudice. But this time, Senior Judge William Menges provided a reason, writing, “The Howard County Prosecutor’s Office is facing a important and ongoing staffing situation that hinders its quality to adequately hole for consecutively scheduled large assemblage trials.”
Menges cited different large assemblage trials being undertaken by the tribunal and prosecutor’s bureau that person rendered the authorities “overburdened.”
The justice near the anticipation unfastened for the authorities to refile amended charges “in airy of caller information.” Maddox was besides released from custody.
At the clip of the arrests, WXIN spoke to Rouse’s sister, who had told the presumption that portion the household was relieved astatine the steps toward justice, they were “happy, but inactive a small scared.”
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