While slain Indiana couple Ruby and Milton McClendon are honored by their long time church in a funeral service, their alleged killers appeared in court.
Reo Jonta Thompson, 17, of the 900 block of Morris Street in Hammond, and Gregory Brooks Jr., 18, of the 800 block of East Highland Street in Hammond, are being held on robbery, burglary and confinement charges. They are being held without bail awaiting extradition to Indiana, which should happen within 30 days.
Thompson is charged with two counts of robbery, two counts of burglary and four counts of confinement in connection with a home invasion and armed robbery. Brooks is charged with two counts of robbery, two counts of burglary, four counts of confinement and one count of auto theft. Neither of the teens has been charged with first-degree murder.
The robbery and burglary counts are punishable by up to 50 years in prison.
One of the teens was caught on surveillance cameras selling $70 worth of Ruby McClendon's jewelry to a pawn broker.
According to court documents obtained by the Post-Tribune, three teens – one who has not been charged – pretended to have car trouble in order to gain access to the McClendon’s home.
They brandished weapons at the front door and forced their way into the McClendon’s home with the intention to rob it, the court affidavit says.
They weren’t satisfied by the $50 in cash Mrs. McClendon had on her person, so they forced Mr. McClendon to crawl upstairs to a bedroom where they hit him with a vase and kicked him before taking jewelry, according to the court document.
Afterward they forced the couple into a downstairs bathroom where they bound and gagged them. They then ransacked the home, came back to the bathrooms and killed the couple, the documents state.
Milton was shot in the head and Ruby was shot multiple times. Neither had identification when they were discovered in a Calumet City forest preserve.
