Columbus teen charged in fatal double shooting sent to trial in adult court, $150k bond set

Shawna Bobst was a mix of emotions Thursday after a court hearing for one of the two teens Franklin County prosecutors allege fatally shot Bobst's 18-year-old son Layton Ridgedell last year.

Franklin County Juvenile Judge George Leach ruled during the hearing that Terrell Hicks-Freeman, 16, will stand trial as an adult for two counts of murder.

Terrell could receive a life sentence in adult prison for murder if he's convicted in the 2022 shooting deaths of Layton and 15-year-old Makhy Andrews.

Judge Leach also set Terrell's bond at $150,000, meaning his family could pay a bail bondsman $15,000 to get him out.

"I’m happy with the decision that he was bound over (to adult court), but I think the bond is way too low," Bobst told The Dispatch. "He already ran. He was gone ... I’m just afraid he’s going to run."

After the fatal double shooting on June 3, 2022, on Columbus' Northeast Side, Terrell and Baron Anderson, who were both 15 at the time, were each charged with two counts of delinquency murder. A Columbus police task force weren't able to locate and arrest Terrell until Aug. 24, and Baron on Sept. 7.

Franklin County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Euripides Pete Chimbidis had asked Leach to set a $1 million bond for Terrell.

"I definitely feel the bond was too low," Chimbidis told The Dispatch after the hearing. "I appreciate the feeling $1 million was too high for a juvenile defendant, but this is not showing enough concern for the violence here and the safety of the community."

Whether Baron, now 16, will also face charges in adult court or remain in juvenile court will be decided later. His next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 31.

The Dispatch profiled this case for a story about the record number of juveniles charged in Franklin County with murder, mostly for shootings.

This shooting involved five teenagers, leaving two dead and two charged with their murders.

According to Columbus police and Franklin County prosecutors, three 15-year-old boys —Terrell, Baron and Makhy — planned to meet up with Layton and another 18-year-old for a gun deal. The older pair believed they were making a trade, according to prosecutors. But according to their texts, the younger trio planned to rob the 18-year-olds.

Layton and his friend got into the younger boys’ car and the trio told Layton’s friend to take out his gun’s clip, prosecutors allege. He did but he still had one bullet in the chamber.

When Makhy threatened Layton’s friend with a gun, the friend jumped out of the car to flee and shot Makhy in the head, according to prosecutors. The Dispatch is not naming the friend because he is not charged with a crime.

Layton was left behind with the two younger teens. He was shot six times, including in the head and back, by bullets from two different guns, according to prosecutors.

Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Chris Clark called it an "execution" at a previous hearing, and accused both Terrell and Baron of shooting Layton.

While explaining his decision to send Terrell to adult court, Leach said the texts show Terrell helped plan this robbery that turned deadly.

Leach also said the juvenile court failed to help turn Terrell's life around when he was arrested for having a gun and stealing a car in February 2021.

"This is what's running rampant in our community, this exact scenario: get a car, it leads to guns," Leach said. "There are youth being killed all over the city, all over this country and we're not doing a good job of stopping it."

When Leach announced his decision, Bobst sighed with relief. Terrell's mother, Dionna Hicks, who was sitting next to him, shook her head.

"I'm sorry that I'm doing this but I don't think we can serve you (in juvenile court). We haven't done a very good job so far," Leach said.

"We're disappointed with the decision to bind over," Terrell’s attorney, Kevin W. Zamora, told The Dispatch after the meeting. "We still feel that he is amenable to the services here in juvenile court. He is still a child. And he maintains his innocence."

jlaird@dispatch.com

@LairdWrites

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus teen charged with two turders to stand trial in adult court