MIDLAND, TX –– Nearly two years after 17-year-old Robert Duncan was murdered, one of the suspects arrested in his case has pled guilty in connection to his death.
According to his family, Duncan left his home on a Friday evening to meet up with friends. For hours he failed to reply to messages until his family received a message from his phone stating "Robbie is MIA."
For days his family frantically searched for him –– until authorities found his body in a South Midland mobile home park with several bullet wounds.
In an affidavit released by local authorities, friends of Duncan stated he was shot as a result of a drug deal.
The friends told police Duncan was going to sell marijuana to a group of teens when they stole it and ran away. Duncan chased after the teens and several gunshots were fired. The friends told the police they never saw Duncan again.
At the time the subsequent investigation led police to five suspects who face different charges.
- Larry West (17) –– Capital Murder
- Zayden Hayes (18) –– Capital Murder
- Rogelio Cadena (18) –– Murder
- John Hayes (17) –– Interfering with Public Duties
- Rojelio Vaskez (18) –– Tampering with Evidence
Court documents show that Larry West, Zayden Hayes, and Rogelio Cadena decided to steal the drugs from Duncan before the deal was supposed to take place. When Duncan began to chase them, he was shot by Hayes twice –– with a gun owned by Cadena. The three teens then returned to Cadena's house and disposed of the weapon.
Earlier this week, Zayden Hayes –– who is now 20-years-old –– pled guilty to the charge of murder after prosecutors waived the death penalty.
A jury subsequently sentenced the shooter to 99 years in prison. He will not be eligible for parole until he serves at least 30 years of his prison –– which would occur when Hayes is in his fifties.
The other defendants in the case are currently awaiting trial.
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