APPOMATTOX COUNTY, Va. – The case is moving forward against five people charged in connection with a 2020 murder in Appomattox.
Keyanta Robinson, Mik’Tavis Green, Enrico Moss, Artenna Horsley-Robey, and Montel Croner appeared in court Thursday for a motion hearing.
The group was arrested after human remains belonging to 45-year-old Carlos Rose were discovered inside a burned-out SUV near the intersection of Forbes Road and State Park Road, which is in the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest.
Robinson, Green, Horsley-Robey and Moss appeared in court wearing orange jumpsuits and face first-degree murder and other charges.
Croner, who is out on a secured bond, appeared in regular clothes and is charged with arson of personal property, accessory after a homicide and other charges.
During the hearing, defense attorneys asked the judge to make one piece of evidence inadmissible.
That evidence is a statement Robinson allegedly made during a March 2021 interview with Major Robert Richardson of the Appomattox County Sheriff’s Office.
Richardson testified that he interviewed Robinson at the Blue Ridge Regional Jail and recorded the nearly 20-minute conversation.
After he stopped the recorder, Richardson says he made a comment to Robinson, to which the defendant replied, “Yea, should’ve killed her too.” Prosecutors did not elaborate on who Robinson was referring to.
The defense argued Richardson was putting pressure on Robinson to speak without his lawyer present.
The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office pointed out seven times when Richardson said the word “lawyer” during his conducted interview, suggesting Robinson speak to his counsel first.
Prosecutors also used similar court cases as examples, arguing that Robinson made the statement voluntarily.
The judge ultimately decided to allow the Commonwealth’s Attorney to use the statement as part of their evidence.
Another motion was made to hold separate jury trials for Robinson and Green, who prosecutors say were in the car with Rose the night he was murdered.
The defense said hearsay and certain evidence may hinder the jury and the outcome for the two individuals.
The judge decided to allow a joint jury trial, scheduled for November 2022.
Another joint jury trial for Moss and Croner is set for January 2023. As of this report, a date hasn’t been set for Horsley-Robey’s trial.