Additional charges were filed Friday against a Merrillville man accused in the killing of his girlfriend’s mother, whose body was found in the trunk of her car which was abandoned in Gary, Ind., last month.
Damarius McGriggs, 18, has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, murder in perpetration of robbery and robbery resulting in serious bodily injury in the death of DeCarol Deloney-Cain, 54, of Crown Point, the Post-Tribune is reporting
Deputy prosecutor Sabrina Haney also filed a request for a DNA sample from McGriggs and for additional cellphone records.
Judge Salvador Vasquez granted both requests at a hearing Friday.
Meanwhile, defense attorney Scott King is seeking bail for his client, which is set for hearing Sept. 5.
Vasquez scheduled McGriggs’ trial to begin Jan. 5.
McGriggs, who also uses the name Damarius Rashard Wren, is charged with killing Deloney-Cain, a flight attendant for United Airlines, on July 3.
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Deloney-Cain’s daughter, Alyssa Barrett, 17, of Crown Point, was charged July 28 with murder and robbery in her mother’s death.
Barrett, who has pleaded not guilty, is scheduled for a jury trial beginning Jan. 26.
Court records indicate Deloney-Cain was unhappy with her daughter’s pregnancy and had tried to convince Barrett not to have the baby. They had a heated argument about the pregnancy a couple of days before the homicide and Deloney-Cain had struck her daughter, which made McGriggs angry, court records state.
Barrett admitted to police that she made statements in the past that she wanted to stab her mother and hide her body.
The statements were made when Barrett told police she’d made up lies to be removed from the home and placed in foster care, court records state.
An autopsy by the Lake County, Ind., coroner’s office showed that Deloney-Cain had six puncture wounds to her upper middle chest area just below her neck and a skull fracture that was indicative of blunt force trauma.
Her hands and feet were bound with tape and her body was wrapped in black plastic bags.
Deloney-Cain’s body was discovered July 7 in the area of 21st Avenue and Mississippi Street in Gary.
