Teen faces murder, carjacking charges

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - Authorities have charged a 17-year-old with murder, carjacking and battery in connection with a crime spree Monday night.

According to investigators, Andre Moton, originally of Gary, Ind., escaped from Gibault Children’s Services in Terre Haute Monday night along with two other juveniles.

After the escape, Moton and the other two teens tried to steal a car from a man at the Wal-Mart on Terre Haute’s south side and beat the car’s owner with a stick, authorities said.

Afterward, the teens walked to the White Castle restaurant nearby where they stole a truck from Kevin Sherrill, 46, of Dugger, and beat him with a wooden stick, investigators reported.

Sherrill suffered lacerations, a broken hip and a broken pelvis, they said.

After stealing Sherrill’s truck, authorities say the three teens fled from police in a high-speed chase.

That chase ended in a crash that killed one of the escaped teens, Therlow Pope, III.

In all, Moton faces a felony murder charge in connection with Pope’s death, an attempted carjacking charge, a carjacking charge, a charge of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, a charge of escaping for fleeing from Gibault, a charge of resisting law enforcement, and a charge of battery resulting in serious bodily injury.

For the murder charge alone, Moton could face between 45 and 65 years in prison.

Moton is being represented by a public defender and his preliminary court date is November 1.