Juvenile suspect charged as adult in Gosport shootings

Following a day and a half of testimony, 15-year-old Jeremiah Dill will face two counts of murder as an adult as a result of an August double-shooting in northeastern Owen County.

Owen Circuit Court I Judge Donald Van Der Moere ruled Tuesday, Oct. 28 that the case would be waived to adult court, saying that the juvenile system is insufficient in the time and resources for the aftercare necessary for Dill.

On the afternoon of Aug. 9, a call came in concerning a gunshot victim at a home in the 1500 block of Truesdel Road. Upon arriving at the scene, officers found Jeffrey Fauber, 61, and Grantham Adam Chandler, 41, deceased from gunshot wounds. 

Shortly after, the Martinsville Police Department posted to their Facebook page that they detained a juvenile male that had entered the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department lobby advising them of an incident in Owen County that was “criminal in nature.” 

Initial information, including the responding agencies and what information could be released was made available at a press conference at the Owen County Courthouse at 9 p.m. that night. Dill’s name was not released at that time, as he is a minor and needed to be waived to adult court before his name would be made publicly available. 

In order to be charged as an adult, Prosecutor Benjamin Kim had to prove that the defendant was at least 12 years old, that probable cause of the crime occurred and that the juvenile was involved and that charging as an adult is in the best interest of the juvenile and the safety of the community. 

Defense attorney Megan Schueler argued that keeping the case in juvenile court was in the best interest of Dill and the safety of the community. She argued that the services and structure provided through the juvenile system provides Dill with the best chance of rehabilitation. Schueler argued that the system had repeatedly failed Dill. 

Van Der Moere cited a history of guardians unable to control Dill at home and a historical record of mental health interventions and commitments. He also cited that Dill is currently on the same medications as he was at the time of the incident and upon his release from at least two different facilities. 

Van Der Moere spoke to the appearance of intentionality behind the actions, saying, “Based on what it appears, you were lying in wait.”

He also cited the premeditated and trivial nature of the crime, saying, “They took your damn Xbox.”

Van Der Moere said he would be ordering Dill to be held without bond and that he was not making a specific finding that Dill be held in an adult facility while awaiting trial and returned him to the juvenile facility until trial. 

More information from the probable cause affidavit will be included once it is made available.

Prosecutor Kim has issued a reminder that all persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.