VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — A man charged in the fatal shooting of a local teen has pleaded guilty.
Montez Ellington Jr. had a change of plea hearing today in the murder of Chloe Carroll in 2021.
She was among a group of teens, sitting in a vehicle parked at a local gas station when the shooting occured.
Ellington, who was a teen at the time of the shooting, was charged with murder in adult court.
This afternoon, at Vigo County Courthouse, the guilty plea was entered.
Vigo County Prosecutor, Terry Modesitt, said, in this case, the prosecution would not accept a guilty plea to anything other than murder.
Modesitt said he worked closely with the victims family before making a decision.
“It’s my policy that whenever someone is killed or injured severely as a result of a crime, that we meet with the families”, Modesitt said. “I want their input, and I want their consent to whatever we are going to do. It brings closure, without re-living the whole thing.”
Ellington agreed to a sentence of 45 years in the plea agreement. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 1st.
