A defense lawyer questioned a detective’s conclusions from a murder investigation, saying Marysa Rodriguez had little to do with how her boyfriend Alijah Adams died.
Rodriguez, 22, was charged in October in connection with 22-year-old Adams’ death on June 1.
No decision was made at her bail hearing. She will next appear in court Thursday.
Court documents allege she was at a Hammond apartment when Adams, of Bourbonnais, Illinois, was there to rob a man, who shot him five times in self-defense, sources said.
Indiana law allows an accomplice to be charged with murder if someone dies while they are committing a crime. Prosecutors are not charging the shooter.
Defense lawyer John Cantrell argued it was a flimsy case – a “girl fight at 2 a.m.” where Adams ended up dead.
It was a volatile situation – Rodriguez’s group had been out drinking.
There was a love triangle where the shooter broke up with his girlfriend – Rodriguez’s friend – and started dating the now ex-girlfriend’s friend who moved in within the past day.
Lawyers presented two different theories on Rodriguez’s involvement.
Hammond Police Detective Sgt. Mike Nemcek told Deputy Prosecutors Keith Anderson and Gary Marek that other witnesses heard Adams say twice he would rob the man during the night.
Rodriguez still ended up with Adams at the door, Marek later said.
Cantrell argued that Rodriguez ended up there because her friend in their group that night wanted to get her stuff back.
Nemcek agreed that Rodriguez was in the car for a bit, before going to the door.
Did you review all the texts between Rodriguez and a friend inside, Cantrell asked.
No, Nemcek responded, he saw one, noting he planned to review all of them.
Cantrell argued the texts said Rodriguez had to go to the bathroom and that’s why she went to the door. Marek later argued that it was a false narrative.
In Rodriguez’s charging affidavit, the man, who shot Adams, said he was home with his girlfriend when his ex-girlfriend showed up at 2:30 a.m. June 1 to the 600 block of 169th Street.
There was more banging on the door. He holstered a gun and went to answer. He refused to let Rodriguez inside. Then, Adams forced the door open, pistol-whipping the man in his nose, according to court papers.
Documents allege Adams pointed the gun, then hit the man in the face with the weapon, knocking him into a sofa. Adams took his cell phone and “demanded money”, saying he would “smoke him.” As Rodriguez fought with the other man’s girlfriend, Adams “stomped” the woman. Scared for their safety, the man pulled out his gun and shot Adams, wounding his own new girlfriend.
Two witnesses, including one who said he wasn’t there at the shooting, said Adams said earlier that night he wanted to rob the man. One witness said he saw the shooter’s ex-girlfriend with Adams’ gun who threw it in bushes, where police later found it. Another person said if Adams didn’t have a gun “none of this would have happened,” records state.
Rodriguez refused to talk with police.
Multiple sources independently confirmed that Adams was shot five times. Adams’ family has disputed the police account of his death.
Documents also show Adams did not have any residual gunpowder on him — meaning he was far enough away from the man when he was shot.
According to an autopsy report provided by the family, Adams was shot in the head, twice in the back, once in the groin and thigh.
Adams was charged previously in connection with the Jan. 13, 2020, death of Julio Salinas, 39, of East Chicago. That case was pleaded down to Level 5 felony assisting a criminal last year. His co-defendant Josue Anaya was gunned down in 2022.
Adams was also charged with beating his pregnant girlfriend in 2022 in a case that was later dismissed. His relatives said their relationship had since improved.
He got a good job and had just gotten paid with no need to rob someone, they argued previously. One noted several of his items appeared missing — expensive earrings and cash he had on him.
mcolias@post-trib.com