INDIANAPOLIS, IN – A teen connected to the murder of a prominent Indianapolis doctor will be sentenced today.
Names aren’t usually released for minors, but the suspect has been identified as Tarius Blade. He is also being charged as an adult for his involvement in the murder. Blade was 15 years old at the time of the crime. He was indicted on three robbery charges and pleaded guilty to all of them.
Blade, along with three other suspects broke into the Eagle Creek home of an Indianapolis doctor on November 20, 2017. The robbery ended in the death of Dr. Kevin Rodgers.
As a result, Ka’Ron Bickham-Hurst was also charged with robbing and killing the local doctor. According to court reports, Bickham-Hurst pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery as well. A hearing will take place today in court.
Additionally, two more teenagers have been charged with robbery and murder. They have been identified as Devon Seats, who is 17 years old, and 18-year-old Nehemiah Merriweather.
Moreover, court reports show that Seats broke into Rodgers’ home by throwing a rock through the window. He is also the one accused of gunning the doctor down. His reason for shooting Rodgers was that the doctor had seen his face and therefore had to die.
But, Rodgers’ home wasn’t the only one hit that day. After killing the doctor, the suspects robbed two more homes nearby.
Rodgers was a well-known and respected man in the community. He was the president of the American Academy of Emergency Medicine. He also served as the emergency medicine residency program director at the IU School of Medicine. Additionally, Rodgers spent time at Cathedral High School where he was also an assistant lacrosse coach.
