Prosecutors announced the indictments of two men for a triple homicide that left an infant dead in 2018.
 
Shaiquon Sharpe, 23, from Columbus and Taquashon Ray, 23, from Youngstown each face charges in the shooting deaths of three people, including a three month-old-child.
 
The victims, Valarcia Blair, 19, Edward Morris, 21, and Tariq Morris, three months, were killed as they were sitting in their car on the corner of Gibson St. and Pasadena Ave. on Nov. 7, 2018.
 
"Some cases can be solved within hours, in this case the suspects were identified early on but again the Youngstown Police Department and county prosecutors office does not make arrests to make arrests, we make arrests after we get sufficient evidence because we intend to secure a conviction," said Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul Gains.

 

Police say evidence indicates that Morris and Sharpe knew each other and had arranged to meet and that Morris was the target of the shooting.  
 
Police said the victims were killed with two different weapons, and they believe Morris was able to fire off one round from a handgun he was carrying before he was killed.
 
Detectives used Digital and forensic evidence to secure additional evidence linking Sharpe and Ray to the homicides.
 
Police would not disclose specific evidence or motive in the investigation.
 
Gains would only say, "Drugs and guns usually do go together."
 
The men are facing charges of aggravated murder, tampering with evidence, obstructing justice, and multiple firearm charges.
 
The defendants face life without parole on the murder charges.
 
The suspects are expected to be arraigned within the next two weeks.
 
Sharpe is currently being held in the Mahoning County Jail on an unrelated probation violation after he was taken into custody two days after the killings.
 
Sharpe was previously charged with aggravated murder in September 2017 in Columbus, but those charges were dropped.
 
Ray is serving a sentence of two years in the Lake Erie Correctional Facility for a drug and burglary charges from Mahoning County.
 
Prosecutors stressed this is still an open case and that any additional information should be reported to authorities.
 
Chief Robin Lees said the department has solved about 70% of their murders, which he said is above the national average, after this time last year the department faced some criticism for its unsolved homicides after a spike in crime.
 
"I'm confident we will solve additional murders from last year as the evidence comes forward and we work with the prosecutor's office, so I expect to exceed that number," said Lees.
 
If you have information, you can reach the detective division at 330-742-8911