In the early hours of a Tuesday morning in Dawson Springs, Kentucky, the life of 16-year-old Dakota Ron Cleao Carter was tragically cut short. On June 1, 2021, at approximately 1:20 a.m., law enforcement responded to a call on Hosick Avenue where they discovered that Carter had sustained a gunshot wound. The teenager was initially transported to Baptist Health Hospital in Madisonville for medical attention.
Due to the severity of his injuries, he was then airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, Dakota Carter succumbed to his injuries and passed away at the hospital. At the time of his death, he was an employee at a McDonald's in Princeton.
The investigation into the shooting was promptly initiated by the Kentucky State Police, who suspected foul play from the outset. Their inquiries led them to a suspect, and on the following day, an arrest was made. Detectives apprehended 19-year-old Michael A. Roche at his residence in Dawson Springs. Roche was subsequently charged with complicity to murder in connection with the death of Dakota Carter.
Following his arrest, Michael A. Roche was booked into the Caldwell County Jail. In addition to the complicity to murder charge, he also faced charges for cultivating marijuana possession of drug paraphernalia, endangering the welfare of a minor, and an outstanding warrant from Hopkins County. The investigation into the death of Dakota Carter was announced as ongoing, and authorities encouraged anyone with information to come forward to assist in the case.
