The murder trial of 20-year-old Montrell McLaurin Jr. was set for Sept. 30 at 9 a.m. by Judge Mary DeBoer in Porter County Superior Court Tuesday morning.
McLaurin, of Gary, is accused of murdering 19-year-old Darion Anderson in the 5300 block of Aspen Avenue in Portage in the early hours of April 29.
According to court documents, surveillance video shows a dark-colored Jeep Grand Cherokee arriving in the area and circling a man standing in the center of a cul-de-sac. The man approached the driver and a few moments later the driver, a passenger, and the man outside the vehicle approached the house.
A witness in the house told police she heard eight to 10 gunshots before walking into the living room, court documents state. She turned a corner and saw a man pointing a gun at her. He told her not to move and then left the house.
Surveillance video shows the three men then entering the Jeep and driving off. According to court documents, another witness told police McLaurin came to the house to sell marijuana and that he was holding a pistol with a wood grip throughout the sale. Documents state he started pointing the gun around and someone yelled, “Grab it!” before it fired.
The state, represented by Porter County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Armando Salinas, added a firearm enhancement to each of the three counts.
Count I, felony murder, if convicted, carries a sentence of 45 to 65 years in prison. Count II, felony murder in perpetration of a robbery, also carries a sentence of 45 to 65 years if convicted. Count III, attempted robbery, is a Level 2 felony and carries a sentence of 10 to 30 years if convicted. The firearm enhancement, if convicted, adds five to 20 years to the sentence.
DeBoer blocked off one week for the trial, with the ability to move into a second week if necessary. As of now, Salinas told the judge he has 30 witnesses to call to the stand, though that list may be whittled by the start of the trial, he said.
McLaurin, who was denied bail, is being held in the Porter County Jail. DeBoer explained to him and his attorney Russell Brown that Aug. 20 would be the last day she would accept a change of plea. Omnibus and pre-trial hearings are set for Aug. 6 and 13 respectively. All motions are due by Aug. 23.
Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. Staff writer Alexandra Kukulka contributed.
