Six persons, including two juveniles and two female teenagers were arrested on Tuesday, charged with first degree murder and accessory to murder in the brutal death of another teen, Marion County Sheriff’s deputies said.
Investigators said, 16-year-old Kyle Hooper, 15-year-old Amber E. Wright, 18-year-old Charlie K. Ely, 20-year-old Justin Soto, and 18-year-old Michael S. Bargo, lured the victim, Seath Tyler Jackson, 15, to a home on 13896 S.E. 53rd Street in Summerfield. Once inside the home, Jackson was hit in the head with some kind of wooden object.
Jackson was also shot multiple times, even as he attempted to leave the house, and was tackled and held by Soto, detectives said. Based on one of the suspect’s statements, investigators believe that Jackson was shot by Bargo.
Investigators said, after Jackson was murdered, his body was placed in a sleeping bag and burned in a fire pit. His remains were then shoveled into several 5-gallon paint containers.
37-year-old James Young Havens III, knew of the plan to kill Jackson, detectives said, and assisted with the disposal of his remains.
Investigators said, Havens also gave Bargo, the accused trigger man, a ride to Starke, in an effort to avoid capture by deputies.
Ely, Wright, Bargo, Soto and Hooper, all of Summerfield, have been charged with first degree murder.
Havens has been charged with accessory after the fact to first degree murder.
The defendants were booked into the Marion County Jail on Tuesday and are expected to appear in court later this week.
Given the brutality of Jackson’s killing, West Orlando News Online has decided to name the juvenile suspects. No photo is available for Hooper.