Published: November 04, 2009 11:12 pm      

Charges in Rethlake murder expected

Prosecutor planning news conference today.

Howard County Prosecutor James Fleming will announce the filing of charges in the April 5, 2008, murder of 18-year-old Abby Rethlake during a press conference today.

Rethlake was shot and killed April 5, 2008, while she and a friend, Morgan Vetter, were in Rethlake’s car at Meadowlawn Apartments on the city’s east side.

Vetter, who was 19 at the time, was also shot, but survived.

The women were shot multiple times about 3:25 a.m. in the parking lot by a man who witnesses said fled in an older-model, black, two-door car.

Several weeks after the shooting, police rounded up and arrested several drug suspects as part of the investigation, but none were ever charged in the shooting, according to police.

Fleming announced the long-awaited arrest in a press release sent to the Kokomo Tribune Wednesday afternoon. The release did not state who will be charged, just that charges will be filed.

Detectives of the Kokomo Police Department, who investigated the case, declined comment referring all questions to Fleming, who declined to comment until after today’s announcement.