Defense: Silva was not mastermind of 2019 double slaying

Defense lawyers for John Silva portrayed him as someone along for the ride, not the mastermind behind the double slaying of two Lake County teens in a botched 2019 drug robbery.

“This is Connor Kerner and what Connor Kerner did,” defense attorney John Cantrell said in opening arguments in Silva’s trial Wednesday in Valparaiso.

Silva, 20, of Hamlet, was charged with two felony counts of aiding, inducing or causing murder in the perpetration of a robbery and two felony counts of aiding, inducing or causing attempted robbery.

Kerner was sentenced in December to 179 years in prison for the Feb. 25, 2019, deaths of Molley Lanham, 19, of St. John, and Thomas Grill, 18, of Cedar Lake, after being convicted on seven of eight felony counts against him by a jury in October.

Silva was in the basement at Kerner’s grandfather’s home in rural Hebron when the murders happened, then helped clean up the scene in the garage, prosecutors allege.

The state had cut a deal with Silva’s former lawyer that he wouldn’t be charged if “100%” truthful with police. He lied to police repeatedly on details like where he was or what happened, Chief Deputy Prosecutor Armando Salinas said.

“Connor Kerner played a huge role in this case, but the defendant played one as well,” he said.

Through cell tower data, investigators confirmed Silva was at the Hebron home at the time of the murders. Blood from the scene was later found on his gray Wrigley Field sweatshirt and a Nike sneaker.

Two days after the killings, Silva told Kerner if he heard anything, “just know we work better as a team,” Salinas said.

Silva also denied touching the gun linked to the case, but his DNA was found on a secondary one, investigators said.

Cantrell said Silva was new to Valparaiso High School for his senior year and trying to navigate, meeting Kerner around December 2018.

He brought Silva to the rural Hebron home as backup, in case something went wrong during the robbery for Kerner, Cantrell said. His client got a “strange vibe,” and went into the basement, then recorded the murders on his phone from there.

He was “trying to document he didn’t have anything to do with the robbery,” Cantrell said. “An innocent person wouldn’t put on a recording at that moment.”

During testimony, Grill’s brother, Daniel, said Kerner owed Thomas Grill $15,000 and 37 pounds of marijuana. The plan was for Thomas Grill to exchange 1,000 THC cartridges with Kerner calling it “even,” he said.

He last heard from his brother in a text just after 11:30 a.m. Feb. 25, he said. He was

concerned by 9 p.m. and filed a missing person’s report after 24 hours had passed the next morning.

Defense lawyer Mark Gruenhagen asked why he believed his brother was in danger.

Because Kerner “previously stabbed someone,” he replied.

Kerner was not charged in that incident. He is appealing his murder conviction.

Silva was charged in the case on May 22, 2020.

According to charging documents, he and Kerner left Valparaiso High School the morning of Feb. 25, 2019, to meet Lanham and Grill at the rural Hebron home of Kerner’s grandparents for a drug deal.

Silva was in the basement of the home when he heard Kerner meeting with two people upstairs, according to court documents.

“Silva then stated that he heard six shots and Connor Kerner called for him, saying, ‘John, John,’ ” documents state.

Silva ran upstairs and entered the garage, where he saw Lanham lying motionless face down. He saw Grill near the main door to the garage, lying face down but still alive and making noises.

“Silva stated that Kerner gave him microfiber towels to start wiping up blood, which he did. He advised that he observed Kerner grab a wrench and his back swing prior to striking Thomas (Grill),” documents state.

Kerner loaded the bodies into a Honda Civic that belonged to Lanham’s stepfather, Silva told police.

Kerner burned the Honda Civic in a wooded area not far from his grandparents’ home and later told his then-girlfriend about the crime, as well as showing her the wooded area where the car was.

She later reported the murders to police.

Investigators found two propane tanks and two aerosol cans in the Civic, confirming the fire was intentionally set, Salinas said.

The three-week trial before Judge Michael A. Fish continues Thursday.