In the summer of 2015, a young man's life was tragically cut short over a dispute that began with a missing cellphone. Fourteen-year-old Desmond Smith, a male, was with two of his friends at Memorial Park in Colorado Springs on the night of Saturday, July 18th. The group was socializing with some teenage girls when they were approached by 18-year-old Raymond Rogan Jr., who was accompanied by two other individuals. Rogan Jr. accused the boys of stealing his phone, an accusation they denied.
In a gesture of goodwill, Smith and his friends even used their flashlights to help search for the missing device, but it was not found.
Later that evening, the situation escalated dramatically. After the initial encounter, one of the girls reportedly called Desmond's group and asked them to return to the park to look for the phone again. As they arrived back at the park, a white car, the same one from the earlier confrontation, pulled up. Without warning, six shots were fired from inside the vehicle. As the boys scattered and ran for cover, a bullet struck Desmond in the chest. His friends found him moments later, lying critically injured in the road. Despite the quick arrival of emergency services, Desmond Smith succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead less than twenty minutes after officers reached the scene.
The investigation into the senseless killing moved swiftly, and within hours, the Colorado Springs Police Department had three suspects in custody. Raymond Rogan Jr. was arrested, along with his 31-year-old uncle, Riccardo Kirven, and his 35-year-old father, Raymond Rogan Sr. According to the police investigation, after leaving the park the first time, Rogan Jr. went to his uncle's house and told him about the missing phone. Kirven then allegedly offered to help his nephew. Rogan Jr. later identified his uncle, Riccardo Kirven, as the person who fired the shots from the car.
Riccardo Kirven and Raymond Rogan Jr. were subsequently charged with first-degree murder. Raymond Rogan Sr. faced charges of being an accessory to the crime, accused of hiding the shell casings after the shooting. In the end, Riccardo Clinton Kirven was found guilty of first-degree murder for the death of Desmond Smith. Raymond Rogan Jr. pleaded guilty to accessory to murder and attempted child abuse resulting in death. His father, Raymond David Rogan Sr., pleaded guilty to accessory to a crime and was sentenced to five years in prison for his role in concealing evidence and failing to report the crime to detectives.
