Bell
A triple shooting that claimed two lives last Christmas Eve at a Bargersville gas station remains unsolved.
Ethan Bell, 18, of rural Morgan County, and an unidentified 17-year-old were shot to death at Circle K, 9400 W State Road 144.
The survivor, Devon McHugh, 18, of Martinsville, is charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, a Level 5 felony in August. McHugh told police the three organized a drug deal to buy $400 worth of marijuana, but only brought $200, with plans to rob the individuals, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Johnson County Circuit Court.
McHugh told the police Bell and the juvenile were unarmed. The plan was to pretend the juvenile’s cell phone was a gun. They didn’t think a real gun was needed because Bargersville and rural Morgan Country are safe areas. McHugh and the juvenile had participated in several other drug deal robbery plots without incident, according to court documents.
This time was different, though.
During the robbery, Bell was sitting in the middle back seat of a red Chevy Cruze and two people were in the front seats. McHugh told police he was asked to step aside and the juvenile came into the car. He told police he didn’t hear what the juvenile said, but after he started talking, gunfire erupted, court documents show.
Bell and the juvenile died at the scene. McHugh was shot in the leg and flank, but survived.
Sixteen shell casings were found inside the car where the teens were gunned down, along with several bullet holes. Additional casings, bullet impact marks and broken glass were found at the scene, according to court documents.
In August, Bargersville police and prosecutors said there were leads on the identity of the shooter or shooters, but there was not enough evidence to file charges or secure a conviction.
Four months later, that is still the case.
“There is a person of interest in the investigation. However, there is currently insufficient evidence to be able to successfully prosecute or even charge that person (or any other person) in connection with the shooting,” Johnson County Prosecutor Joe Villanueva said in an email Wednesday. “There were three individuals in the car that morning, and those individuals have not been positively identified as of yet. As such, it cannot be determined what role (if any) a particular person had in the incident.”
Villanueva and Jeremy Roll, a spokesperson for the Bargersville Police Department, said the investigation remains open, and they continue to encourage anyone with information on the case to come forward.
The circumstances surrounding the case complicate a resolution, but don’t make it any less important, Villanueva said.
“[I] have worked with the investigators from that department long enough to know that they take each case seriously, and would not treat this case any differently because of the circumstances,” Villanueva said. “The fact that both sides were allegedly engaged in illegal activity at the time of the shooting complicates the process and does reduce the likelihood those involved will want to come forward, even if they wanted to claim they were acting in self-defense.”
Ethan Bell’s family is skeptical authorities are doing all they can to resolve the case, though, said Roger Bell, his grandfather. They’re afraid his case will go cold, while McHugh is held accountable for attempting to rob the people who took Ethan’s life.
“I think it would help me deal with it better if they just did something. If they pressed charges against (someone) and lost, it would be something, even if they don’t win,” Roger Bell said. “It would be better because at least they tried.”
Ethan Bell is remembered by his family as a compassionate person who cared deeply about his brothers and always sought to step up for them and be the man of the house. Before he dropped out, he was a promising football player at Martinsville High School, Roger Bell said.
The family is still grieving, and the fact that the case remains unsolved doesn’t help that process. But Roger Bell and other family members aren’t giving up. They’ve talked about pooling their money to hire a private investigator to continue the investigation.
“I don’t think my family is going to let it go away. I don’t think I am going to let it go away,” he said.
The family also wants more information on Ethan Bell’s involvement in the robbery. Roger Bell suspects the other boys were likely the instigators, based on his grandson’s character and McHugh’s statements to police, he said.
“Those two knew what was going on,” he said. “Whether Ethan knew what was going on is buried in Martinsville in the cemetery. He is the only one who knew what was going on.”
McHugh’s trial is tentatively set for March 22 in Circuit Court.
