On a summer evening in Frankfort, Kentucky, the lives of two young men were tragically cut short in an act of violence that stemmed from a robbery. Dustin Wayne Johnson, a 24-year-old male, was with his friend, 22-year-old Jared Miles Moore, at a home on Alexander Street on June 26, 2018. The two were enjoying their time playing video games with a third friend, Morgan Crutchfield.
Their evening was shattered when a group of individuals entered the residence under the guise of a marijuana transaction.
The intruders, Leroy Love, Rakiethieus Wesley, Juanita Durrum, and Bricelyn Leake, forced the three friends to the floor at gunpoint. They then proceeded to ransack the house, searching for drugs and money. After taking a small amount of cash, cellphones, a television, and two gaming systems, the robbery took a fatal turn. Leroy Love opened fire on the three men, firing eight rounds. Both Johnson and Moore were struck multiple times. Moore was pronounced dead at the scene, while Johnson was rushed to Frankfort Regional Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries. The third friend, Crutchfield, survived by pretending to be dead until the assailants fled. He then ran to a neighbor's house to call for help.
The investigation that followed led to the arrest of five individuals. In a surprising turn of events, Morgan Crutchfield, the surviving friend who had called 911, was initially arrested and charged in connection with the crime, with authorities believing he had arranged the meeting. However, after spending 11 months in jail, all charges against him were dismissed with prejudice after a co-defendant, Juanita Durrum, recanted her statement that he was involved in planning the robbery.
The other suspects, Leroy Love, Rakiethieus Wesley, Juanita Durrum, and Bricelyn Leake, faced charges including murder and robbery. Leroy Love was identified as the shooter in the incident. In September 2022, a jury found Love guilty of two counts of second-degree manslaughter and two counts of first-degree robbery. The other individuals involved also faced legal consequences for their roles in the deadly home invasion. The resolution of the court cases brought a measure of closure to the families of Dustin Wayne Johnson and Jared Miles Moore, though the sorrow of their loss remains.
