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Background: Truesdel Road in Quincy, Ind. (Google Maps). Insets (left to right): Grantham Chandler and Jeffrey Fauber (Neal & Summers Funeral and Cremation Center).
An Indiana teenager is facing adult charges for allegedly killing his father and great-uncle, following previous threats against his family. The Owen County authorities have identified 15-year-old Jeremiah Nicholas Dill as the primary suspect in the tragic shooting of 41-year-old Grantham Chandler and 61-year-old Jeffrey Fauber. The victims were discovered dead in the driveway of a Quincy, Indiana residence on August 9. Shortly after the incident, a woman alerted police via 911, and Dill subsequently appeared at the Morgan County Jail, reportedly surrendering for the alleged crimes.
According to court records sourced by local station WXIN, the 911 caller described the suspect as a “15-year-old boy who just got released” from a mental health facility. Earlier in the year, Dill had been admitted due to threatening remarks towards his family, including intentions to harm his father and knowledge of where firearms were kept in the household.
Dill was discharged from the treatment center merely two days before the fatal shootings. Despite family efforts to secure the firearms, Dill managed to access them. The 911 caller also mentioned that Dill had driven away in the family’s Ford Escape, taking several guns with him following the incident.
Police said that Dill was released from the facility two days before the alleged shooting. Family members told police that they had attempted to secure every gun in the house, but that Dill somehow gained access to them. The woman who called 911 told police that following the shooting, Dill had taken the family”s Ford Escape and several of the guns.
When Dill arrived at the jail, staff reported that he made several statements along the lines of “I killed my father” and “I killed my family.” He also reportedly told jail staff, “I’m fighting demons.” According to court documents, Dill was handcuffed and placed in custody, but he continued to talk. Police said he told officers, “The guns that I killed him with are in that car.” He then reportedly pointed to the Ford Escape that had been stated to be missing during the 911 call about the shooting.
Inside the car, investigators found an AR-15 rifle and a handgun.
According to court documents, a woman at the home where the shooting took place told police that Dill had been acting “chill” and “uncharacteristically helpful” that morning. He also allegedly made statements that he wanted to “kill the family.”
Dill will be charged as an adult with two counts of murder. He is currently being held in juvenile custody, according to local NBC affiliate WTHR. His next court date is scheduled for Dec. 11.