Two South Bend suspects arrested Monday after a standoff with police in Chicago have been charged in the murder of Dietrich Perkins.
31-year-old Perkins near the corner of Lathrop and Johnson streets.
Garner, 20, was charged with a single count of aiding in murder and is
being held without bond.
Lamar, 18, faces a count of assisting a criminal, a Class C felony.
His bond was set at $500,000 corporate surety or $50,000 cash.
On Tuesday, St. Joseph County prosecutors charged Bryant Hunt, 28, of
South Bend, with one count each of murder and attempted robbery.
Hunt, who is being held without bond, was also charged Tuesday with
auto theft for allegedly stealing his ex-girlfriend’s Chrysler
Pacifica in August.
All three suspects were arrested Monday in Chicago following a
six-hour armed standoff with police and federal agents that shut down
some of the city’s train lines during rush hour.
The standoff involved Illinois State Police, Chicago police, federal
agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and members of
the St. Joseph County Metro Homicide squad.
It ended peacefully when Hunt, Garner and Lamar were taken into custody.
All three suspects remain in jail in Chicago.
Hunt and Lamar have waived extradition and are scheduled to be
transported back to South Bend, according to a spokesperson for the
St. Joseph County prosecutor’s office.
Prosecutors are also expected to begin extradition proceedings in an
effort to get Garner returned to South Bend.
A fourth suspect, Mitchell Thomas, was charged last week with
attempted murder in connection with the Perkins homicide.
Thomas, 20, was released from St. Joseph County Jail after posting $10,000 bond.
Prosecutors charged in the case’s probable cause affidavit that Hunt,
Garner and a third unidentified suspect planned to rob Perkins during
an alleged drug deal.
In a taped conversation with a confidential informant, Hunt allegedly
recounted telling Perkins, “I heard you got some pills ... why don’t
you link up with me ... get me some of those pills,” according to the
charging affidavit.
During the same conversation, Hunt allegedly admitted to the informant
that he killed Perkins during a dispute, saying, “‘cuz’ shot the
(bleep),” and, “I bailed out behind him ... I put like 10 in the
(bleep).”
An investigator who spoke with Garner following his arrest in Chicago
stated in the affidavit that Garner rode in a Range Rover driven by
Hunt with “another individual ... carrying handguns and were looking
to purchase” Ecstasy when they met with Perkins inside the vehicle in
an alley near the corner of Johnson and Lathrop.
“Garner ... was not aware that the third person would shoot
(Perkins),” the investigator stated in the affidavit.
When Perkins attempted to flee the vehicle, Garner “aided the third
person by reaching over and attempting to grab the victim. However, as
(Garner) began reaching towards the victim, the third person fired
once again,” Garner told the investigator.
Perkins was able to get out of the car, but Hunt and the third suspect
allegedly caught the victim then shot him “repeatedly,” according to
the affidavit.
Although Garner claimed they did not plan to rob Perkins, prosecutors
charged that the victim’s South Bend residence was burglarized the
same night he was gunned down.
Investigators continue to search for “additional persons of interest”
in the case.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Metro Homicide at 574-235-5009.
Staff writer Jeff Harrell:
jharrell@sbtinfo.com
574-235-6368
Prosecutors on Wednesday hit Sylvester Garner and Forest Lamar with
31-year-old Perkins near the corner of Lathrop and Johnson streets.
Garner, 20, was charged with a single count of aiding in murder and is
being held without bond.
Lamar, 18, faces a count of assisting a criminal, a Class C felony.
His bond was set at $500,000 corporate surety or $50,000 cash.
On Tuesday, St. Joseph County prosecutors charged Bryant Hunt, 28, of
South Bend, with one count each of murder and attempted robbery.
Hunt, who is being held without bond, was also charged Tuesday with
auto theft for allegedly stealing his ex-girlfriend’s Chrysler
Pacifica in August.
All three suspects were arrested Monday in Chicago following a
six-hour armed standoff with police and federal agents that shut down
some of the city’s train lines during rush hour.
The standoff involved Illinois State Police, Chicago police, federal
agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and members of
the St. Joseph County Metro Homicide squad.
It ended peacefully when Hunt, Garner and Lamar were taken into custody.
All three suspects remain in jail in Chicago.
Hunt and Lamar have waived extradition and are scheduled to be
transported back to South Bend, according to a spokesperson for the
St. Joseph County prosecutor’s office.
Prosecutors are also expected to begin extradition proceedings in an
effort to get Garner returned to South Bend.
A fourth suspect, Mitchell Thomas, was charged last week with
attempted murder in connection with the Perkins homicide.
Thomas, 20, was released from St. Joseph County Jail after posting $10,000 bond.
Prosecutors charged in the case’s probable cause affidavit that Hunt,
Garner and a third unidentified suspect planned to rob Perkins during
an alleged drug deal.
In a taped conversation with a confidential informant, Hunt allegedly
recounted telling Perkins, “I heard you got some pills ... why don’t
you link up with me ... get me some of those pills,” according to the
charging affidavit.
During the same conversation, Hunt allegedly admitted to the informant
that he killed Perkins during a dispute, saying, “‘cuz’ shot the
(bleep),” and, “I bailed out behind him ... I put like 10 in the
(bleep).”
An investigator who spoke with Garner following his arrest in Chicago
stated in the affidavit that Garner rode in a Range Rover driven by
Hunt with “another individual ... carrying handguns and were looking
to purchase” Ecstasy when they met with Perkins inside the vehicle in
an alley near the corner of Johnson and Lathrop.
“Garner ... was not aware that the third person would shoot
(Perkins),” the investigator stated in the affidavit.
When Perkins attempted to flee the vehicle, Garner “aided the third
person by reaching over and attempting to grab the victim. However, as
(Garner) began reaching towards the victim, the third person fired
once again,” Garner told the investigator.
Perkins was able to get out of the car, but Hunt and the third suspect
allegedly caught the victim then shot him “repeatedly,” according to
the affidavit.
Although Garner claimed they did not plan to rob Perkins, prosecutors
charged that the victim’s South Bend residence was burglarized the
same night he was gunned down.
Investigators continue to search for “additional persons of interest”
in the case.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Metro Homicide at 574-235-5009.
Staff writer Jeff Harrell:
jharrell@sbtinfo.com
574-235-6368
