Oct 29, 2009 11:44 am US/Central
Murder Charges Filed Against McClendon Suspects
Reo Thompson, Gregory Brooks Jr. Were Arrested Friday, Charged With Lesser Crimes
CROWN POINT, Ind. (CBS) ―
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Reo Jonta Thompson, 17, and Gregory Brooks Jr., 18, havd been charged with the murder of CLTV talk show host Garrard McClendon's parents in Hammond, Ind.
Cook County Sheriff's Office
Murder charges have now been filed against the two Northwest Indiana teens accused of killing Milton and Ruby McClendon in Hammond.
Reo Jonta Thompson, 17, and Gregory Brooks Jr., 18, both of Hammond, were officially charged with four counts of murder in the perpetration of a burglary, and two counts of murder in the perpetration of a robbery,
in the Oct. 19 slayings of Milton McClendon, 78, and his wife Ruby, 76.
Milton and Ruby McClendon are the parents of CLTV talk show host Garrard McClendon.
The teens were arrested Friday, but originally, they were only charged with robbery, burglary, confinement and auto theft.
Prosecutors allege the teens beat the McClendons stole $50 in cash, a rifle, jewelry and other items; then locked the couple in a closet.
Brooks and Thompson, who claim they were with a third suspect named Kevin Langley, left the residence, then returned to "finish off" the McClendons, according to charging documents.
The McClendons' bodies were found Oct. 19 about two miles from their home in a Calumet City forest preserve. Ruby McClendon was shot multiple times, while Milton McClendon was killed by a single shot to the head.
The teens reportedly have blamed each other for the shootings, and charging affidavits do not detail the killings. Murder charges had not been filed as of Wednesday afternoon against either teen, and investigators do not believe Kevin Langley is a real person.
Brooks and Thompson were seen by multiple witnesses riding in the McClendons' stolen Cadillac El Dorado in the days after the killings, and were captured on surveillance video selling jewelry stolen from the McClendons at a Hammond pawn shop.
The car was found abandoned on the Dan Ryan Expressway near Garfield Boulevard, and a witness described two males walking away from the car, which had run out of gas, prosecutors said.
Brooks and Thompson were extradited from Cook County on Tuesday and appeared Wednesday before Magistrate Natalie Bokota in Lake Superior Court, according to the Lake County Prosecutor's office.
At the initial hearing, the magistrate entered the automatic not guilty pleas for the pair, who are charged with two counts each of robbery and burglary, four counts each of confinement, and one count each of auto theft, according to the prosecutor's office. Public defenders were appointed for both teens.
Their bond was set at $250,000 each on Wednesday.
The court on Thursday also granted a defense request for a protective order prohibiting the parties, counsel, law enforcement officials and court personnel from disseminating information or releasing any extra judicial statements by means of public communication, according to a release.
Brooks will appear in court on Friday, according to the release, which stated his formal appearance was initially set on Nov. 6 but was moved up. Brooks will appear at 8:35 a.m.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
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