The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has made three arrests related to a fatal October shooting in Kokomo.
Nathan Jerome Smith, 22, of Richton, Rico Rondell Roberts, 23, of Hattiesburg, and Lajourdon Travis, 25, of Poplarville remained in the Marion County Jail as of press deadlines after being arrested Friday in connection with the death of Essic “Cooter Monk” Darby.
Both Smith and Roberts are charged with armed robbery and murder. Bond is set at $1.5 million for each. Travis is charged with armed robbery and accessory before/after the fact and is being held on $520,000 bond.
At the time of the shooting, sheriff’s deputies were unsure of suspects or a motive and did not have a lot to work with, according to Investigator Pete Williams. But Williams said Investigator Brad Anderson worked hard to solve the case.
“Brad left no stone unturned. We had nothing, and he worked tirelessly. I am super proud of him,” Williams said.
Regarding a motive, Williams said it appeared to have been a robbery that went horribly wrong.
Darby, 57, was shot at his home off Hunter Lane in Kokomo on Oct. 29. A 911 call was received around 8:26 p.m. that day reporting an individual being shot. Sheriff’s deputies were the first to respond to the scene and found Darby unresponsive. The deputies began CPR until medical personnel arrived, and Darby was transported to Marion General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead around 9:20 p.m.
The investigation remains ongoing.
