Teen indicted on murder, conspiracy charges
An 18-year-old Montgomery County man has been accused of conspiring to murder an 18-yearold Centerville man during an alleged botched burglary last month outside Lebanon.
Dakota Cox of Washington Twp., Montgomery County, was indicted on charges of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, conspiracy, tampering with evidence and possession of criminal tools, according to a list of indictments issued Monday in Warren County Commpon Pleas Court.
He could face 15 years to life in prison if convicted on the murder charge, with an additional prison term if convicted of the other charges.
Cox is charged along with Logan Dean and Jacob Hicks, both 16, of Washington Twp.; and Kayla Carmack, 17, of Turtlecreek Twp., in the fatal shooting of Mason Trudics, 18, of Centerville on Dec. 13 outside Carmack’s home on Oregonia Road, east of Lebanon.
The juveniles are charged with murder and robbery in Warren County Juvenile Court, while awaiting hearings that could result in their cases being transferred to the adult court.
Trudics and the four charged allegedly planned to rob the unidentified shooter. Instead the shooter pulled a gun in self defense and shot
Trudics and Dean, according to authorities.
Dean’s family has indicated the shooting stemmed from a romantic dispute between Trudics and the shooter.
“Dakota obviously was not the main person involved in this,” lawyer Jon Paul Rion said Monday after the indictment was issued.
“It’s obvious and clear many individuals including Dakota had second thoughts about this entire idea.”
Investigation by the Warren County Sheriff ’s Office initially focused on the shooter, but ultimately found the five teens planned to use a firearm and baseball bat to rob the person who shot and killed Trudics and wounded Dean.
The conspiracy charge is based on allegations Cox helped plan the robbery, “which ultimately resulted in the victim’s death,” Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell said Monday in a text message. If convicted on this charge, Cox faces up to eight years in prison.
Cox’s lawyers have claimed he was not at the shooting and suggested this “abandonment” could be used in his defense. On Monday, Rion said Cox “refused to get out of the car” before the shooting.
Hicks’ lawyer made the same claim in arguing for his release from detention.
After the indictment, Fornshell declined to comment on “specific roles,” but indicated absence from the crime scene wasn’t enough of a defense.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re ‘at’ the scene of the crime if you actively worked with your co-conspirators to commit the crime,” Fornshell added.
Rion said Cox had started to drive away when the shooting occurred, but acknowledged this issue would be debated, possibly even at trial.
“It’s a close call. It requires serious analysis,” he said.
Cox, who turns 19 on Thursday, remained in the Warren County Jail on $1 million bond, while awaiting arraignment in Warren County Common Pleas Court. The other three remain in juvenile detention.
Before the juvenile cases can be transferred to adult court, Dean, Carmack and Hicks are to return to the juvenile court for separate preliminary hearings, Dean on March 30, Carmack on April 1 and Hicks on April 3.
Cox is scheduled for arraignment at 1 p.m. Wednesday.
Contact this reporter at 937225-2261 or email Larry. Budd@cmg.com.