UPDATE (March 22, 2022):
WHITLEY CO., Ind. (ADAMS) – The ISP death investigation that was initiated Monday afternoon, after the deceased body of Curtis E. Thomas was discovered on a rural Whitley County roadway, has now culminated with the arrest of three suspect(s) alleged to have been involved in the homicide.
Indiana State Police released the following:
Investigators from the Fort Wayne Post, Peru Post, and Whitley County Sheriff’s Department, following up on a weeks worth of investigative leads, located and apprehended the alleged *suspects without incident at three separate residences across north central Indiana; Fort Wayne, Logansport, and Walton, IN.
Mia S. Griffin, 34, of Fort Wayne, was taken into custody in Fort Wayne. She was transported and booked into custody at the Whitley County Jail, facing a preliminary charge of Aiding in Murder.
Robert Thomas Drake, 27 of Fort Wayne, was apprehended in Logansport, IN. He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Cass County jail (pending transfer to the Whitley County jail), where he will be booked into custody on a preliminary charge of Murder.
Ashlynn McClain, 20, of Fort Wayne was apprehended in Walton, IN. She was transported to the Whitley County jail, and also being held on a preliminary charge of Aiding in Murder.
This continues to be an active criminal investigation. At this time there is no further information to release.
*The above noted charges are merely allegations at this point, with the final determination of charges at the discretion of the Whitley County Prosecutor. All suspects named in this release are to be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
UPDATE (March 18, 2022):
A death investigation in Whitley County is now a homicide investigation. (Original story below)
The coroner says that the 30-year-old Fort Wayne man was shot to death. Indiana State Police are handling the investigation which is ongoing.
At the request of the Whitley County Coroner’s Office, the Indiana State Police disseminated the following official autopsy report associated with the death investigation of Curtis E. Thomas:
On Monday 03/14/2022 the Whitley County Coroner was notified of a person deceased along the roadway on County Road 700E between State Road 14 and County Road 500 South in Whitley County.
An autopsy was performed at Northeast Indiana Forensic Center on 03/15/2022 and the Preliminary report has been filed with the Whitley County Coroner’s Office.
The victim was preliminarily identified as Curtis Edward Thomas 30 of Fort Wayne IN. The Whitley County Coroner has ruled the Cause of Death: Gunshot wound of the chest, the Manner of Death: Homicide.
Investigating the scene Indiana State Police, Whitley County Sheriff’s Department and Whitley County Coroner’s Office.
This remains an active and ongoing ISP criminal investigation. ISP detectives are diligently following up on all investigative leads, however, there is nothing further to release at this time.
ORIGINAL STORY:
WHITLEY CO., Ind. (ADAMS) – Indiana State Police are investigating a death it is calling “suspicious.” ISP officials say the body of a Fort Wayne man was found in rural Whitley County Monday afternoon.
Around 12:45 p.m., a trooper was on County Road 700 East when they discovered the body in a side ditch just north of State Road 14.
The body was later identified as Curtis Thomas, 30, of Fort Wayne.
There is currently no other information except that police consider the cause of his death to be “suspicious in nature.”
ISP officials released the following:
The Indiana State Police is conducting a death investigation after the body of a Fort Wayne man was discovered earlier today laying alongside County Road 700 East in rural Whitley County.
At approximately 12:45pm, an on duty Indiana State Trooper traveling on CR700E just north of State Road 14 came across the body of a deceased adult male lying in a side ditch. Detectives from the Fort Wayne Post immediately responded to the scene, as well as investigators with the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department and the Whitley County Coroner’s office.
The body has been positively identified as that of Curtis E. Thomas, 30, of Fort Wayne. The circumstances surrounding the death are suspicious in nature, and remain under investigation.
Cause and manner of death will be determined through an autopsy scheduled later this week at the Northeast Indiana Forensic Center in Fort Wayne.
Notification has been made to family members.
This is an active and ongoing criminal investigation. At this time there is no further information to be released.
Anyone that may have information that can assist detectives with this investigation, is asked to call the Fort Wayne Post at (260)432-8661.
