Eric Scroggins, a 23-year-old male from Cincinnati, Ohio, tragically died on March 16, 2015, after being shot multiple times in Westwood. He was found outside a car with the door open, and despite being alive when police arrived, he succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. The incident occurred around 9:30 p.m., and police cordoned off two blocks of Epworth Avenue as they conducted their investigation.
The investigation revealed that Scroggins was on probation for a felony
drug-trafficking charge from 2011. He had been sentenced to time at the River City Correctional Center in 2013 for carrying a weapon with a previous felony conviction. Earlier in 2015, a judge ordered Scroggins to serve the rest of his probation outside of the county's Intensive Supervision Program due to "good cause shown".
Two suspects, Luther Drake, 18, and Drakkar Harris, 19, were arrested in connection with Scroggins' death. Drake was arrested on April 9, 2015, and charged with aggravated murder and aggravated robbery, while Harris was arrested on April 25, 2015, and faced the same charges. Harris also faced additional charges of escape and multiple purse-snatchings in North College Hill. Both suspects were held on $500,000 bond.
The case drew significant attention from law enforcement and the community, as police worked diligently to gather evidence and witness testimonies. The investigation was extensive, with officers spending a majority of their time taking pictures and collecting evidence from the car Scroggins was found outside. Despite the arrests, the motive behind the shooting remained unclear.
Eric Scroggins' death was a tragic event that highlighted the ongoing issues of violence and crime in the Cincinnati area. His family and friends were left to grieve the loss of a young man whose life was cut short by senseless violence. The legal proceedings against the suspects continued, with the hope of bringing justice for Scroggins and closure for his loved ones.
