Published: November 06, 2009 12:05 am      

Authorities charge 4 in Rethlake killing

2 Kokomo men, 2 Chicago men in custody

With the family of Abby Rethlake standing by, Howard County Prosecutor James Fleming announced Thursday the arrests of four people involved in the April 5, 2008, shooting death of Rethlake and the serious injury of her friend, Morgan Vetter.

Rethlake, 18, was killed while she and a Vetter were in Rethlake’s car at Meadowlawn Apartments on the city’s east side.

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

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

Charged in the shootings were Michael Yates, 26, and Reggie Balentine, 32, both of Kokomo; and Launden Luckett, 21, and Jesse L. Harris Jr., 26, both of Chicago.

“I believe in my family; I believe in my friends, and I believe in the American justice system,” Tom Rethlake, Abby’s father, said after hearing the charges.

Harris, whom police believe to be the man who shot Rethlake, faces charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of attempted murder and aggravated battery.

Yates faces three counts of aiding, inducing or causing murder, conspiracy to commit murder and aggravated battery. Balentine faces three counts of aiding, inducing or causing murder, assisting a criminal, conspiracy to commit murder and aiding, inducing or causing aggravated battery. Luckett faces a lone charge of aggravated battery in the injury of Vetter.

Balentine and Yates are being held at the Howard County jail. Harris and Luckett are incarcerated in Illinois.

Fleming said Rethlake and Vetter were not the targets of the shooting. He said they were with the target, Mark Matthews, who was sitting in the back seat of Rethlake’s car when shots were fired.

“They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Fleming said.

A grand jury, which convened over the summer in Howard Circuit Court and before Judge Lynn Murray, preceded the charges.

Initial hearings for the four are set for Nov. 20 in Howard Superior Court I.

Read Friday’s Kokomo Tribune for more details.