Howard County Prosecutor Drops Murder Charges Against Man
Howard County Prosecutor Drops Murder Charges Against Kokomo Man
KOKOMO, Ind. — A central Indiana murder suspect has charges against him dismissed for a second time in less than a year.
Howard County Prosecutor Mark McCann announced Wednesday that the charges filed against Kevin Maddox in the 2006 killing of Chad Rouse have been dropped. The dismissal means Maddox can’t be charged again.
McCann said dismissing the charges is “in the interest of justice and the integrity of the prosecution.”
“This decision reflects our obligation to ensure that every charge we pursue is supported by the strongest possible evidence and presented in a manner that serves both justice and the community’s trust,” McCann stated.
Prosecutors mentioned staffing shortages, heavy court schedules, and unreviewed evidence as factors in the decision.
“This was after discussions with the victim’s reps, this is not just a surprise,” McCann told WIBC.
McCann said this will allow their office to now focus on the suspect in the companion case, Amber Brigham. She faces charges of conspiracy to commit robbery resulting in serious bodily injury and aiding, inducing or causing robbery resulting in serious bodily injury.
On Nov. 15, 2006, Kokomo police officers responded to the 1400 block of Armstrong Street for a report of a potential shooting. When officers arrived, they found Chad Rouse, 20, dead from a gunshot wound.
A witness told police that an unknown man entered the home that night to rob it. That led to a fight between Rouse and the suspect. Rouse was then shot in the back.
The case went cold for 16 years until a Howard County grand jury indicted two people, Maddox and Brigham, on May 26, 2023, in connection to the robbery and fatal shooting.
On April 7, Brigham’s charges were all dismissed without prejudice after her hearings were repeatedly pushed back or rescheduled. A few days later, her bond was dropped and she was released from custody.
Maddox’s jury trial was scheduled to begin on April 22, but the hearing was eventually canceled due to a dismissal judgment which mentioned the “significant and ongoing staffing crisis.”
Then on May 27, charges were refiled against Maddox and Brigham, with Maddox being charged with murder and robbery resulting in bodily injury. His new murder case was set to start on Wednesday, Aug. 13, but Prosecutor McCann asked the judge to dismiss all charges against Maddox with prejudice.
Rouse’s mother called the repeated dismissals “very upsetting.”
“This is a case that is almost 19 years old so you can figure out how difficult it was back in ’06 and how difficult it is now to try this case,” McCann added.
Now, prosecution continues in the case against Brigham. She’s expected to appear in court later this month. McCann said there is not a trial date set yet, but he guessed it would come in the fall or later this year.
“Our office is proceeding against the related defendant,” McCann said. “This isn’t over yet.”
