OHIO TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Three people, including two juveniles, have been charged after the Clermont County prosecutor said they robbed and killed a man, leaving his body on the side of the road.
Ohio State Highway Patrol first reported that troopers responded to a possible hit-and-run on the 1000 block of Bethel New Richmond Road just after 4 a.m. on March 8. When they arrived, they found 19-year-old Jayden Nelson dead in the road, but noticed that the scene did not align with a hit-and-run.
The Clermont County Coroner's Office did an autopsy that determined Nelson had died from a gunshot wound to the head, with the bullet lodged in his brain. At that point, OSHP began working with the sheriff's office to further investigate the case.
Prosecutor Mark J. Tekulve said searches and forensic analyses helped the two agencies locate and arrest two male juveniles — aged 16 and 17 — as well as 19-year-old Dakarai Campbell.
Tekulve said the three came to New Richmond under the guise of selling marijuana to Nelson, but instead robbed him of more than $3,000, took his cellphone and left his dead body on the side of the road.
Watch: Prosecutors describe the moment that led to 19-year-old Jayden Nelson's death
All three now face multiple charges, including aggravated robbery and aggravated murder.
“This is probably one of the most comprehensive and complex investigations I’ve seen," Tekulve said.
Campbell was arraigned in court on Tuesday morning. His attorney pleaded not guilty, with Judge Anita Bechmann setting his bond at $2.25 million.
Following Tuesday's court proceedings, we spoke with Zane Weber, one of Nelson's childhood friends.
"Sleepless nights, I mean, some of us, no appetite, hardly sleep, like it’s definitely been hard, especially with how much of an impact Jayden made on people's lives," Weber said.
Weber described what it was like being in a courtroom with one of the people accused of killing his friend.
"When I found out what had really happened, it was like a definite wave of anger," Weber said. "Then, being a few feet away from someone involved in it that was there, I don’t know, it was hard to control it."
The two juvenile defendants appeared before Judge James Shriver in Clermont County Juvenile Court on April 8.
Watch: What we learned in juvenile court
Both face two counts of aggravated murder, murder, aggravated robbery and robbery. The 17-year-old is also facing other charges, including tampering with evidence and trafficking drugs, according to Shriver.
The state is seeking to try both as adults.
"Should the court find probable cause to believe that you committed either a class one or a class two offense, then the court would be required to send this case to the Clermont County Court of Common Pleas general division for court proceedings. It is known as a mandatory bind over under Ohio Law," Shriver said.
We received the criminal complaint from the county's juvenile court. The complaint reports that the 16-year-old shot and killed Nelson. We spoke with Greg Cohen, the 16-year-old's attorney, about those allegations.
“A complaint is a probable cause document, that you know, this crime probably occurred, and the defendant charged is probably the one who did it. Anytime you have multiple defendants, sometimes it's a circular firing squad where you know: he did it, no, he did it, well, he did it. So, I don’t really react to what is in a criminal complaint," Cohen said.
Cohen explained that in juvenile court, defendants don't plead guilty or not guilty. But there is an admission or denial of the allegations against them.
“He came in here and denied the offense," Cohen said.
The probable cause hearing is set for May 1, at 9 a.m.
One of the juveniles' mothers was in the courtroom and is also facing charges related to the case, according to Judge Shriver.
