Spencer Sharp, a 30-year-old White man from Springfield, Ohio, was a devoted father to his young daughter, Scarlet, and was excitedly awaiting the birth of a son. His life was cut short on the night of January 26, 2025, leaving his family and friends to mourn a man they cherished.
Just after 10:15 p.m., Springfield police responded to a 911 call about a shooting at Mr. Sharp’s home in the 2100 block of Larch Street. Officers arrived to find Mr.
Sharp and another man, 35-year-old Clifton James Cummings, on the front porch with gunshot wounds. Cummings was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the head. Mr. Sharp was rushed to Springfield Regional Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries. Inside the house, police found Mr. Sharp’s toddler daughter, who was physically unharmed. Officers had to force their way into the home to rescue her.
Investigators soon determined the shooting occurred during a planned robbery. According to police, four men, including Cummings, had conspired to rob Mr. Sharp. The plan allegedly involved 18-year-old Jaron Coley setting up a drug deal at Mr. Sharp’s home as a pretense for the group to gain entry. Surveillance footage from the residence reportedly showed Coley entering the house with Cummings, who was armed with a handgun and wearing a ski mask. During the attempted robbery, an exchange of gunfire erupted, resulting in the deaths of both Mr. Sharp and Cummings.
The investigation led to a series of arrests. On January 28, a SWAT team arrested Jaron Coley, who was on parole and wearing a GPS ankle monitor that placed him at the scene. When questioned, Coley claimed he had gone to the home to buy marijuana and was unaware of any plan to commit a robbery. On January 30, police arrested a second suspect, 24-year-old Riley P. Haynes. A third man, 21-year-old Nathan D. Keaton, was apprehended in Jefferson County, Alabama, on February 1 with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service.
In early February 2025, a Clark County Grand Jury indicted Coley, Haynes, and Keaton on charges of aggravated murder, six counts of murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, and felonious assault. Haynes faced an additional charge for having weapons under disability. In April 2025, a fourth man with the last name Cummings was also indicted on the same charges. As of April 2025, the case was proceeding through the court system.
