Muncie teen convicted of murder, other crimes committed at age 16

MUNCIE, Ind. (WISH) — A Delaware County jury on Tuesday convicted a Muncie man of murder for the 2024 shooting of a teenager during a robbery.

Robert Graham III turned 19 on Sunday and was 16 at the time of the crime. He was also found guilty of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, conspiracy to commit robbery, and obstruction of justice. The jury deliberated for about an hour and a half before returning the verdict.

Jurors also determined Graham used a gun during the killing, a finding that could add five to 20 years to his prison sentence.

The conviction follows a yearslong legal process beginning with the August 2024 death of 15-year-old LataJohne Phillips. According to court documents, Muncie police responded to a report of a loud noise around 10 p.m. Aug. 14, 2024, at the Creekside Apartments in Muncie. A witness walking a dog found Phillips in some bushes suffering from gunshot wounds to his head and leg. He died later at Riley Children’s Health Indiana University Health hospital in Indianapolis.

Surveillance video showed a group of six people, including Graham, walking toward the apartments shortly before the shooting. One witness told police the group intended to “make a play,” a slang term for a robbery. Police later found several guns...