Parolee Charged With Fatal Shooting Over Drug Debt
JOLIET, Ill. (STMW) - A man who survived a shooting ambush that left two people dead this summer was allegedly caught with guns Tuesday night and charged as a suspect in an unrelated murder after appearing in court Wednesday.
Orsbey T. Larkin, 23, of Joliet, has been charged with two counts of murder for the Oct. 8 shooting of Corey Kelly, 29, in Lockport Township. The murder charges carry a $5 million bond.
After his bond hearing Wednesday afternoon on gun charges, Larkin learned he would also be tried for Kelly's murder and "appeared shocked,", sources said.
At 8:37 p.m. Oct. 8, Joliet police heard gunshots near the guardrail on Fairmont Avenue, which separates the city from unincorporated Lockport Township.
Responding Will County sheriff's deputies found Kelly, who had been shot five times, lying in the 1600 block of Englewood Avenue. Kelly was taken to Silver Cross Hospital, then transferred to Loyola Medical Center in Maywood where he died Nov. 3.
Deputy Chief Ken Kaupas said investigators began to focus on Larkin as a suspect after learning he and Kelly were involved in a dispute over money owed for drugs.
"On Oct. 12, Joliet police made an unrelated arrest of one of Larkin's associates, who we will not identify at this time," Kaupas said. "Ballistic tests confirmed the handgun they seized is the murder weapon."
As sheriff's police prepared their case against Larkin on Tuesday night, Joliet tactical officers raided 103 Wesleyan Ave. in Lockport Township where Larkin and Michael C. Barefield, 23, were reportedly staying. "We received information they had guns (unlawfully) and were able to obtain a search warrant for the residence," Joliet Chief Mike Trafton said.
Kaupas said Joliet and the sheriff's police were aware of each other's investigations.
In the Wesleyan Avenue home, police reportedly found a .45-caliber handgun and a 9-milimeter Uzi with a 30-round clip.
"During interviews, Larkin admitted the Uzi was his and Barefield admitted handling the weapons, but denied any ownership," Trafton said.
Both men were charged with two counts of unauthorized possession of a firearm. Barefield was also charged with being an armed habitual criminal and possession of cannabis.
The October shooting came less than three months after he survived a gunman's attack.
Larkin was in a car July 20 with Barefield's cousin, Grover D. Barefield, 25, and Keyshawna Y. Waits, 20, parked outside Trinity Services, 600 Adella Ave in Joliet Township. While the trio waited to pick up Waits' sister from work, an unknown gunman walked up on the dead-end street and fired several shots into the car.
Grover Barefield died that night and Waits succumbed to her injuries two weeks later. Larkin received minor wounds and was released from the hospital a few hours later. Detectives reported he was "uncooperative" throughout the investigation.
"Obviously when Larkin became a suspect in this homicide, we looked into if this was a revenge slaying, but it does not seem that Kelly is connected to that (Joliet Township) incident," Kaupas said.
Larkin had been on parole for three weeks on an aggravated battery conviction when he was attacked. Grover Barefield also was on parole at the time of his death.
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