Ronnie Bowers’ alleged killer might not face more serious charges for two weeks, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.
The 16-year-old Fairmont High School junior was shot in the back of the head Sunday night, an “innocent bystander,” according to police, who was trying to avoid conflict after a dispute that started at AlterFest.
Greg Flannagan, spokesman for the prosecutor’s office, said Wednesday that Kettering police detectives plan to meet with prosecutors in a couple weeks and that amended charges are unlikely before then.
Three juveniles – two ages 16 and one 14 – remain in custody while 18-year-old Miles Heizer was booked and then released from Kettering jail Tuesday evening.
Before Bowers died, the three juveniles were charged with felonious assault and one was charged with tampering with evidence. The next hearing for the three detained juveniles is Sept. 27.
Montgomery County Juvenile Court Judge Anthony Capizzi said he detained all three juveniles because the case involved “a heinous crime” in which the victim’s life was at stake.
Capizzi said he also considered the “safety of the community,” as well as the defendants’ well-being.
“I detained the three youth because one, it’s a heinous crime; two to protect the community as well as these three young men from the community,” he said, noting that as a judge he has “a broad range of options as to why I detain a child.”
Bowers died Tuesday after he was disconnected from life support.
His family declined comment, but a classmate said Bowers could “just lighten any mood or situation” with his cheerful personality.
“It’s just such a tragedy to have something like this happen,” said Aidan Chromick. “Honestly, it’s going to be rough. I have to see an empty seat where he used to be in one of my classes. I mean, he’s not going to be there.”
A Montgomery County Coroner’s Office employee said Bowers’ body had not yet arrived there as of 3:45 p.m. Wednesday. A gofundme page had raised more than $9,000 of a $10,000 goal by Wednesday afternoon.
Police have not indicated which suspect they believe fired the bullet that hit Bowers.
Search warrant affidavits were sealed Wednesday for the Kettering addresses of two of the three juveniles.
This news organization requested the search warrant affidavit Wednesday morning about 10 minutes before Kettering Municipal Court officials said the affidavits were being sealed and not publicly available.
A Kettering Police Department incident report received Wednesday afternoon states that a female received a minor injury and that a baggie of marijuana was found.
A police dispatch log of the incident indicates that a female jumped out of a car that had the back window busted out and that a male was slumped over in a seat.
Police would not discuss details of the case Wednesday.
Heizer has an active Montgomery County Common Pleas case for felonious assault, also in Kettering. The two 16-year-old male suspects have no serious prior criminal history with juvenile court.
The 14-year-old suspect has a juvenile criminal record dating back to when he was 11, according to court documents. In February 2014, he was convicted in a criminal damaging case in Dayton. He was referred to the drug court program. He also was convicted of truancy after missing 16 of 90 days of school and sentenced to a work program, according to court records.
In October 2015, the youngest juvenile suspect was convicted again of truancy after missing 18 of 99 days of school and again sentenced to a work program, according to court records.
In January of this year, the 14-year-old was ordered to appear in the juvenile drug court in connection to a criminal mischief case. In February, the teen admitted to possession of marijuana and ordered to continue in drug court, according to court records.
This news organization is not identifying the juveniles by name at this time.
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