Published: April 05, 2008 10:39 pm      

Teen killed in eastside shooting

Police searching for suspect

A Kokomo teen died and another was critically injured early Saturday after a man opened fire on a vehicle they were in at Meadowlawn Apartments, 1930 S. Goyer Road.

Kokomo police say Abby Rethlake, 18, and Morgan Vetter, 19, were shot multiple times about 3:25 a.m. in the parking lot by a black man, who fled in an older-model, black, two-door car, Capt. Brian Thompson reported.

Rethlake was taken to a local hospital, then airlifted to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, where she was pronounced dead a short time later.

Vetter is being treated at Howard Regional Health System, where she remains in critical condition, Lt. Don Whitehead said Saturday afternoon.

Police said a third person, who was in the teen’s white Monte Carlo, was treated and released for minor injuries and is cooperating with investigators. His name has not been released.

“We have several leads we’re following,” he said of the suspect.

When police arrived, they found Vetter lying on Baxter Road, which runs along the apartment complex. Rethlake was still behind the wheel of the car. Both suffered multiple gunshot wounds.

Police believe the trio were driving through the parking lot when the suspect drove up and the two cars parked. The suspect then got out of his car and opened fire on the Monte Carlo with a large-caliber handgun and fled, Whitehead said.

The suspect is described as standing 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing approximately 185 to 190 pounds and wearing a black hooded jacket. Witnesses said the man fled in an unknown direction.

Detectives are unsure if the teens knew the gunman. Neither of the victims lived at the apartments, which Whitehead said was “not a high-crime area.”

This is the city’s first homicide of the year. Last year, police reported only one homicide all year.

Mike Fletcher may be reached at (765) 454-8565 or via e-mail at mike.fletcher@kokomotribune.com



You can help:

Anyone having information regarding this investigation is asked to contact Detective Mike Banush at (765) 456-7278, the Kokomo Police Hotline at (765) 456-7017, or you may qualify for a cash reward by calling Central Indiana Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS with your anonymous tip.