The original trial date for the murder trial of Domonic Brothers, the Gary man accused along with Jawon Martin of murdering a 35-year-old Hobart man they allegedly met on a gay dating app, has been vacated from May 26 and reset for Aug. 5 at the request of his defense attorney.
Defense attorney Mark Chargualaf told Porter County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer he wants the delay in order to receive working papers from the Indiana State Police Lab that cite DNA evidence in the matter.
“Is it based exclusively, entirely, wholly on the DNA evidence?” Clymer asked him. “What’s missing?”
“The certification of analysis makes some significant assumptions,” Chargualaf replied. “Judge, they are extremely significant.”
Porter County Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Armando Salinas had no objection to the delay on behalf of the state, but said it was the first time the entire body of working papers had been requested and he was not sure how long it would take for Chargualaf’s request to be fulfilled. “We’ve all seen the binders that lab technicians bring to court,” Clymer said of the documents in question.
He granted the request based upon the significance of the DNA findings. Chargualaf said the State Police typically use an electronic drop box to deliver the large files and he expects it will not take long.
Brothers, 28, who also goes by the name Domonic Weaver, and Martin, 29, who also goes by Jada Monroe and is from Danville, Virginia, are each charged with one count of murder and one count of murder in perpetuation of a robbery, both Level 1 felonies. They are also each charged with robbery, a Level 2 felony.
Martin is being tried in the court of Superior Judge Michael Fish. Derek Hartz’s partially nude body was found on a deflated air mattress around 10:30 a.m. on June 13, 2023 by a fisherman in the Chustak Salt Creek Fishing Area at 331 West County Road 600 North in Portage Township, according to court documents.
Salinas asked if the court had room in its new schedule for the trial to take up to two weeks if necessary. It was confirmed that it did and a pre-trial hearing was set for 10 a.m. on May 17 to see the status of the DNA evidence.
Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
