Milwaukee police end search of landfill for body of Evon Young
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Milwaukee police on Thursday, February 14th announced they have ended the operation involving a search of a Menomonee Falls landfill for the body of Evon Young. For two-and-a-half weeks, cadaver dogs, Milwaukee police detectives, landfill personnel and workers from an excavating company have been involved in the search for Young's body.
In a statement, Milwaukee police said: Detectives had narrowed the area of the landfill that Evon's body was most likely in, resulting in tons of garbage being moved and searched in an effort to locate any evidence related to the homicide. The detectives, as well as personnel from the landfill, a local excavating company, and dog handlers conducted an exhaustive search under challenging circumstances, however Evon's remains were not found. Despite the disappointing results of the landfill search, the investigation has produced other physical evidence that will corroborate the charges issued by the District Attorney's Office."
Young's friend and business associate Willie Lampkin said it is difficult to move on without Young's body.
"I can't get any closure because we haven't recovered the body. We haven't had the funeral. We haven't actually cried and grieved to get that out because there's no closure going to be there. So it's going to be a continuous opening. It's never going to close. It's just the point of if you can't find it, then you can't find it. So I understand the situation but it was going to be tough to find anyways. The hole's still there no matter what, and until we find that body, that hole will always be there," Lampkin said.
The five men charged in connection with the death of Evon Young pleaded not guilty during their preliminary hearings on January 31st. All five men will stand trial in the case.
37-year-old Ron Allen, 23-year-old Devin Seaberry, 26-year-old Billy Griffin, 18-year-old Ashanti Mcalister, 27-year-old Victor Stewart face first-degree intentional homicide charges in Young's death.
The charges come with a maximum life in prison sentence upon conviction.
According to the criminal complaint in the case, the five defendants were at Young’s home when his roommate accused Young of stealing. Investigators say the defendants took Young to the basement, put a bag over his head, beat him with tools and took turns strangling him with a chain before ending his life with three gunshots.
Detective Timothy Graham testified about what Victor Stewart told him.
"He indicated that defendant McAllister struck the victim twice in the face with the semi-automatic handgun while in the kitchen," Graham said.
Graham says according to Stewart, Young still did not know how much danger he was in.
"He said the victim was cooperative and the victim didn't believe that he was going to be killed, and he followed them into the basement," Graham said.
Graham also said Allen put a plastic bag over Young's head that broke, and then choked Young with a chain.
"He indicated that Mr. McAllister fired three shots at the victim," Graham said.
The five are accused of wrapping Young's body in a bed sheet. Then, Allen is accused of leaving the house and returning with duct tape and bleach, and a change of clothes for himself and Allen. Allen is accused of duct taping Young's feet and hands.
The men are accused of tossing Young's body in a dumpster after killing him.
CLICK HERE to read more stories about the Evon Young case