INDIANAPOLIS — IMPD homicide detectives have arrested three people for their alleged involvement in a murder earlier this month on the east side of Indianapolis.
Police arrested 35-year-old Cristina Clark, 29-year-old Josselyn Johnson and 21-year-old Jaheim Miller as part of the investigation into the death of 28-year-old Corbin Rogers on Dec. 8.
All three suspects have been charged with murder, kidnapping for ransom and kidnapping while armed with a deadly weapon, with each of their initial hearings set for Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 8:30 a.m.
Around 9 a.m., officers responded to the 100 block of North Euclid Avenue, south of East New York Street. They were searching the area on an unrelated incident, went into a vacant home and found Rogers inside. He had been shot and was pronounced dead at the scene, IMPD said.
Homicide detectives responded to the scene to begin conducting a death investigation. IMPD announced the arrests in the case on Dec. 15, though the investigation is ongoing as detectives work to determine if there were others involved in Rogers' death.
Police said they spoke with Rogers' grandmother two days after the deadly shooting. She allegedly told police Rogers called her from his cellphone at 3:19 p.m. on Dec. 7, and begged her for $5,000. The victim's grandmother said she heard a woman in the background of the call, yelling at Rogers about a stolen car.
A few minutes later, Rogers' grandmother told police she got a text message from Rogers of a photo of him in a vehicle with two masked men on either side of him, pointing what appeared to be handguns at his head.
Then, Rogers' grandmother said she got another text that said Rogers would soon be dead if they did not receive the money.
Rogers' girlfriend received a Facebook video in which police said Clark told her, "We are holding your man hostage."
All of this allegedly was the result of trying to find Clark's rental car, which Rogers had taken.
A witness told police Rogers had been driving Clark's car with a friend. When Rogers stopped at a gas station, the friend reportedly drove off with the car. That friend told police he simply parked the car at an apartment complex across the street.
Court documents say Rogers did not know where the car was parked and a witness said Rogers told them Clark threatened to kill him if he did not return the car.
On Dec. 7, a witness told police she heard a gunshot at an apartment on Baltimore Terrace. She also told police, after hearing the gunshot, several people left the apartment.
Police said surveillance video from a home near the apartment on Baltimore Terrace shows a woman, believed to be Clark, and several other people beating up Rogers and then leading him into the home where Rogers' body was later found.
Police checked that home and found a spent shell casing that matched one found at the home on Euclid Avenue where Rogers' body was found.
In court documents, Clark allegedly told police Rogers took her car keys without permission. She said she called Rogers, but he didn't answer. A friend told Clark where Rogers was and she sent people to pick him up. Rogers had the keys to her car, but she says he didn't know where the car was left.
Clark claimed she questioned Rogers and then left him alive at the apartment.
Miller told police Clark took Rogers to a home on Euclid Avenue. In court documents, Miller claimed he had shown up to the apartment to buy shoes and then drove to Euclid Avenue as he was waiting to get them. He said he followed everyone inside with Rogers, but then walked outside. Miller said Rogers was yelling that he would pay them money and then he heard multiple shots.
When police talked to Johnson, she allegedly told them she, Clark, Miller and two other men took Rogers to the home on Euclid Avenue. On the way, Clark took a picture of Rogers and sent it to his grandmother and demanded money. Johnson claimed that once at the vacant home on Euclid Avenue, Rogers was taken inside and after Miller came out of the home, she heard several gun shots.
After the interviews with witnesses and the suspects, police arrested Clark, Miller and Johnson.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Det. Daniel Smith at the IMPD Homicide Office at 317-327-3475 or e-mail him at Daniel.Smith@Indy.gov. Anonymous tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-TIPS.