No charges filed in Molly Young case

By Branda Mitchell

No charges will be filed in the 2012 case of the death of Molly Young, according to a report by the state’s attorney appellate prosecutor obtained by KFVS-TV.

The report says there is insufficient evidence to declare the case a homicide, but that it will remain an open investigation.

“This allows anyone to still come forward with information that would advance the theory of a homicide rather than a suicide,” the report states. “The reality of a criminal prosecution is that once an indictment is issued, the prosecutor must be armed with the same evidence he or she would need to meet the burden of proof of beyond a reasonable doubt. Such a threshold cannot be met under the facts of this case at this time.”

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Young was found dead March 24, 2012 with a gunshot wound to the head in her ex-boyfriend’s apartment in Carbondale. Richie Minton, her former boyfriend, worked as a Carbondale police dispatcher at the time of her death.

Young’s father Larry Young told the DAILY EGYPTIAN on Wednesday he started an investigative committee to evaluate the case and provided the state’s attorney with several documents, including blood evidence, names, phone numbers and addresses of everyone who lived in Minton’s apartment complex.

“We sent them all the information they needed,” he said. “They haven’t acted on any of that. We never understood why they’re saying that [there is a lack of evidence].”

The family and community—noting the treatment of the case appears similar to that of former SIU student Pravin Varughese—have criticized the actions of police and other officials involved. Varughese was found dead Feb. 18 after he had been missing for five days.

“There continues to remain a stench like a very heavy fog surrounding not only Molly’s but Pravin’s [case], and who knows how many others in Carbondale,” Larry Young said. “It is unconscionable that prosecutors would let the media have their report without contacting our family about our concerns and explaining the findings to us first.”

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