Edward Ellington, a 53-year-old man from Springfield, Ohio, was known to loved ones by his middle name, Duane. He was born on October 23, 1970, and his life was cut short just before the holidays in 2023.
On the afternoon of December 21, 2023, around 4:35 p.m., a dispute turned deadly near the intersection of Euclid Avenue and South Yellow Springs Street.
According to a witness who spoke with police, the incident began after a man named Tyren DeArmond realized his cellphone was missing and believed someone had taken it. The witness had been giving DeArmond a ride, and they drove back to the area, where a fight broke out. Another person intervened to break up the fight, but shortly after, DeArmond allegedly fired a single shot, striking Ellington in the head.
First responders found Ellington on the sidewalk in the 600 block of West Euclid Avenue. He was rushed to Springfield Regional Medical Center and then flown by CareFlight to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton due to the severity of his injury. Despite medical efforts, Edward Ellington died three days later on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2023.
Investigators quickly identified 40-year-old Tyren L. DeArmond of Springfield as the suspect. In January 2024, a grand jury indicted him on charges including two counts of murder, felonious assault, discharging a firearm on or near prohibited premises, and having weapons while under disability. After police asked the public for help locating him, an arrest warrant was returned on March 19, 2024, and DeArmond was taken into custody. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In October 2024, DeArmond’s case went to trial. A jury found him guilty of one count of murder, felonious assault, and discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises. He was acquitted of a separate murder charge which had alleged he "purposely" caused Ellington's death. The murder charge he was convicted of specified that he caused a death as a result of committing another violent felony, in this case, the felonious assault. As of October 2024, DeArmond was awaiting his sentencing, which was scheduled for later that month.
