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St. Joseph County booking photos (January 6, 2013) |
SOUTH BEND – Five suspects were arraigned on murder charges Monday -- a little more than a week after a victim of a South Bend home invasion and stabbing in late December died.
During the late night hours of December 27, police say five men, including three teens, broke into the home of Kent and Sandra Price in the 1000 block of N. Michigan St. and stabbed several people.
The Prices suffered stab wounds to their necks. Mrs. Price died in the hospital on January 5.
According to the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office, Price's death was ruled a homicide in an autopsy conducted on the 7th. The cause of death was determined to be blood loss from multiple sharp force injuries.
Police not only found the Prices badly hurt after the home invasion. Three others were also injured. Christine Jordan and her two young children were visiting the couple. Jordan and her son were stabbed, while her daughter was hit with a blunt object. All three visitors were treated and released.
On December 28 the prosecutor charged 18-year-old Nate Coley, 17-year-old Gemari Cotton, 19-year-old Lee Griffin, 21-year-old Khawana Lamar, and 47-year-old Walter Neely with robbery and burglary.
On January 7, after Price died, the prosecutor filed the felony murder charges.
All five were arraigned on the murder charges on Monday. Superior Court Judge Jerome Frese found probable cause and ordered all five to be held in the St. Joseph County Jail without bond
The men are accused of breaking into the house with a gun and a knife, demanding money and started "cutting" people.
The other guests in the home hid and called 911.
Police arrested the robbers as they were leaving the house, some carrying stolen items.
On Monday Judge Frese set an initial hearing date of January 22 for each suspect, and ordered each come back to the clerk for the random assignment of a trial court judge.
