Bond set at $3M each for two men charged in West Chester homicide

A man was found fatally shot inside a car Thursday, Oct. 20, in West Chester Twp. KATIE CEPERO/WCPO

Credit: Katie Cepero/WCPO

Credit: Katie Cepero/WCPO

A man was found fatally shot inside a car Thursday, Oct. 20, in West Chester Twp. KATIE CEPERO/WCPO

Bond has been set at $3 million each for two Cincinnati men charged with aggravated murder and other felonies for a fatal shooting in West Chester Twp. last fall.

Robert J. Morris and Garreontai A. Holmes were indicted by a grand jury in February in the slaying of 22-year-old Keshon Sanders on Oct. 20, 2022. Sanders was found in his car shot multiple times at Meadow Ridge Apartments. He was transported to West Chester UC Hospital, where he died.

Garreontai Allen BUTLER COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

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Police were called around 5:20 p.m. to the 5000 block of Aster Park Drive and found Sanders fatally wounded in a vehicle, according to Barb Wilson, township spokeswoman.

Morris, 21, is also charged with felonious assault, participating in a criminal gang and having weapons under disability in addition to aggravated murder. He is housed in the Hamilton County Jail on unrelated charges, but was brought to Butler County Common Pleas Court for arraignment last week, where Judge Greg Stephens set bond at $3 million.

Robert Morris HAMILTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

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Holmes, 22, is also charged with felonious assault and participating in a criminal gang in addition to aggravated murder. His bond was also set at $3 million during arraignment in February.

Included in the aggravated murder charge are specifications that a firearm was used in the commission of a crime and that it was equipped with a silencer or muffler, according to the indictment.

Both defendants are scheduled to be back in court May 1 when a trial date may be set.

Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser said the firearm used was equipped with a “switch” that adapted the handgun to be fully automatic, meaning it allowed the weapon to continue to fire at a high rate of speed as long as the trigger is pressed.

Gmoser said the homicide was gang-related.

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