UPDATE: Ninth person charged with murder by mob in Caroline
Four adults and four juveniles have been charged with murder by mob in the November 2007 shooting of a Caroline County teen.
UPDATE: A ninth suspect has been charged in connection to the shooting death of a Caroline County teen.
Caroline County police did not release the name of the 16-year-old suspect due to his age, but the juvenile is charged with murder by mob along with eight other Caroline County residents. (5/19/2008)
Date published: 5/19/2008
BY Ellen Biltz
The Caroline County man charged with shooting a high school student to death
last fall is no longer the only one accused of murdering 16-year-old Raquel
Hunter.
Three adults and four juveniles, along with 23-year-old Lashawn Montque
Monroe, were charged yesterday with murder by mob.
Monroe's new charge is on top of his already existing charges of first
degree murder and possession of a firearm in commission of a felony.
At Monroe's preliminary hearing in January, a judge certified the murder
charge against him, but said in court that it was a "close call" as to
whether there was enough evidence against Monroe, because no one who
testified at the hearing could point out Monroe as the person who actually
fired the shot that killed Hunter.
Hunter died Nov. 10 of last year outside of the Madison Ruritan Club,
following a "Sweet 16" party for one of his fellow Caroline High School
students.
Monroe was the only person charged at the time.
Commonwealth's Attorney Tony Spencer said, though, that with the murder by
mob charges against all eight of the suspects, there does not necessarily
have to be proof which of the men actually shot Hunter, only that his death
was a result of their actions as a group.
The charge of murder by mob, which originated in 1950, was first used to
prosecute against lynching, according to the code section. It also states,
however, that "any act of violence by a mob upon the body of any person,
which shall result in the death of such person," can be prosecuted under the
section.
The three men, aside from Monroe, charged are Antoine Johnson, 18, Dwight
Leo Smith II, 19, and Deon Alexander Terrell, 19. The names of the two
16-year-olds and two 17-year-olds charged, some of whom Spencer said are
also Caroline High School students, are not being released because they are
juveniles.
Read more stories about Caroline
Date published: 5/19/2008
Most recent reader comments:
Kids and Thugs alike
(posted by
tuggboat
, May 15, 2008 10:23 pm)  
No more should the community have to deal with teens who
kill. Have the trial and prosecute them to the full extend of the
law. No excuses, no b/s, they will face the law of the
community and be judged accordingly. Let the facts be heard
and court decide how to deal with this mess
What is in these clowns' head? Sawdust?
(posted by
freedomfirst
, May 15, 2008 4:54 pm)  
I can only assume they were drunk or high or both. This is a tragedy not only because a 16 year old died, but also that all these young men with their future before them are already finished for a great part of their life because they had to be cool and do stupid crap. I sure hope other kids view this as a stupid thing to do and avoid falling into the same trap.
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