Raymond Childs III had taken his father’s car without permission on a Saturday night, which was strictly prohibited by the family. Upon his return after midnight, Raymond Childs II assured his son that consequences would follow.
During Childs’ murder trial, T-Ana King shared with the jurors that she interpreted her father’s warning as meaning he would wait until her brother was asleep before punishing him.
The jury was informed by prosecutors that the younger Childs was not willing to wait and see what his punishment would be.
During the trial, IMPD Patrolman Andrew Guzman testified that when he was one of the first officers to arrive at the scene, Xavier, the wounded child, told him that “He shot them all.” Guzman then asked who did it, and Xavier responded with “Raymond Childs.”
During the trial, the jurors were presented with recordings of 911 calls, one of which featured a witness who claimed to have observed two men fleeing the scene and driving away in a yellow GMC Hummer.
A witness recounted seeing a Childs family SUV hastily depart from the location.
During the trial, the jurors were presented with the Body Worn Camera footage from IMPD, revealing the initial search conducted by the officers at the Childs’ residence. The video captured the officers’ voices stating, “We got five,” “There’s two more down here,” and “There’s a gun there.”
During the trial, a forensic investigator gave testimony stating that he had found three firearms as well as scales commonly used in drug transactions inside the residence.
According to James Allen, the uncle of Raymond III, his nephew came back to the crime scene a few hours after the murders and was visibly distraught. Allen was so concerned about Raymond’s state of mind that he asked him to wait in a pickup truck belonging to a relative.
Police arrested Raymond III at a relative’s house in Plainfield, where they seized the family vehicle. During the investigation, they found one of the murder weapons, which had been wiped clean of fingerprints.
According to Cicchini, Xavier is set to take the stand tomorrow. However, the defense team is already refuting the younger brother’s claims, stating that it was impossible for him to have seen what he reported in the dimly lit basement that morning.
“According to Defense Attorney Courtney Ann Benson-Kooy, the evidence will demonstrate that the case against their client is a result of a misidentification and a misguided investigation. During her opening statement, she urged the jurors to pay attention to Xavier’s statement after the shooting, where he expressed uncertainty about his brother’s involvement and used the word ‘they’ to describe the shooters. Benson-Kooy also highlighted that Xavier was in the basement when the incident occurred and that the lighting conditions were poor. She emphasized that the jurors will have the opportunity to review evidence, including pictures, diagrams, and bodycam footage, and come to their own conclusion about whether anyone could have made a reliable identification based on Xavier’s line of sight.”
According to Cicchini, the seized firearm was identified by Xavier as the murder weapon. He also added that during the altercation, Xavier pleaded with his brother not to kill him while they were standing just a few feet away from each other, looking each other in the eye.
According to prosecutors, Raymond III callously disregarded the plea.
