An Indiana judge dismissed a murder trial because of a “staffing crisis” at the prosecutor’s office – as the victim’s family still waits for justice 20 years after the killing.
Kevin Maddox, accused of fatally shooting 20-year-old Chad Rouse during a 2006 botched robbery, was released from jail after Howard County Superior Court Judge William Menges abruptly dismissed the case Tuesday just as it was set to kick off.
Menges’ order cited the Howard County Prosecutor’s office’s hectic trial schedule, “staffing crisis” and the fact it was “overburdened with pretrial motions on the eve of trial.”
The prosecutor staffing problem “hinders its ability to adequately prepare for consecutively scheduled major jury trials,” the order said.
Maddox’ case was dismissed “without prejudice” — meaning that the prosecutor’s office could bring it again at a later point — but for the time being Rouse’s family has to continue waiting for justice, according toFox59.
Maddox was charged alongside Amber Brigham in the fatal shooting of Chad Rouse on Nov. 15, 2006. Rouse had gotten into a fight with the intruder and was shot in the back — but the assailant’s identity was a mystery and the case went cold until February 2023, reports said.
Maddox, 48, of Indianapolis, and Amber Brigham, 36, of Kokomo, were indicted in the case in May 2023 with Maddox facing murder, robbery and conspiracy charges and Brigham facing conspiracy robbery charges.
“It has been 16 and a half years,” Chad’s mother, Athena, said in 2023. “We have missed a lot of good times with him.”
Athena said she’d given up hope that her son’s assailants would ever be brought to justice and was afraid to believe it could actually be true.
Brigham’s case was slated to go to trial in January but it was pushed back multiple times before ultimately getting dismissed on April 7 by Judge Blake Dahl.
Her case was also dismissed without prejudice, leaving the door open for prosecutors to one day bring it back. But the judge didn’t give any explanation for the dismissal.
The Howard County Prosecutor’s office didn’t immediately return a request for comment Wednesday afternoon.