Kevin Maddox (left) and Amber Brigham (Kokomo Police Department).
The family of an Indiana man found dead of a gunshot wound in 2006 waited years to see someone charged in connection to his death. Those charges finally came in 2023 when two suspects were arrested — but now, those charges have been dismissed.
The reason appears to be an “ongoing staffing crisis” at the prosecutor’s office.
In court documents filed in Indiana’s Howard County, charges against Kevin Maddox, 48, and Amber Brigham, 36, were dismissed without prejudice. Both had been arrested in connection to the shooting death of 20-year-old Chad Rouse, who was found dead by police at his home in Kokomo on Nov. 15, 2006. After the case went cold, investigators revisited the evidence and indicted Brigham and Maddox, who was charged with Rouse’s murder.
Now, Maddox is expected to be released from custody without ever going to trial.
According to reporting by WXIN, a local Fox affiliate, Rouse’s 2006 homicide was part of a robbery gone wrong. A witness at the time had told police that an unknown man entered the home with the intent to rob it and Rouse fought with him. Rouse was fatally shot in the struggle.
On May 26, 2023, a grand jury indicted Maddox on charges of murder, robbery resulting in serious bodily injury and conspiracy to commit robbery resulting in serious bodily injury. Brigham was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery resulting in serious bodily injury and aiding, inducing or causing robbery resulting in serious bodily injury. They were both arrested days later and had remained in custody ever since.
Brigham’s trial was scheduled to begin in January, but kept getting delayed, WXIN reported. On April 4, Howard County Superior Court Judge Blake Dahl dismissed all charges against her without prejudice and released her from custody. No reason was provided for the dismissal.
When it came to Maddox, his trial was to take place on Tuesday — until his charges were also dropped, again, without prejudice. But this time, Senior Judge William Menges provided a reason, writing, “The Howard County Prosecutor’s Office is facing a significant and ongoing staffing crisis that hinders its ability to adequately prepare for consecutively scheduled major jury trials.”
Menges cited other major jury trials being undertaken by the court and prosecutor’s office that have rendered the state “overburdened.”
The judge left the possibility open for the state to refile amended charges “in light of new information.” Maddox was also released from custody.
At the time of the arrests, WXIN spoke to Rouse’s sister, who had told the station that while the family was relieved at the steps toward justice, they were “happy, but still a little scared.”
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