In the summer of 2018, the city of Flint, Michigan, was shaken by a grim discovery that began to unfold on July 12th. On that Thursday, the body of 19-year-old Ted’Mundo Orlando Victor Meeks, a male resident of Flint, was found in the Flint River. His discovery was tragically intertwined with that of another man, 32-year-old Rodney Harden Jr., whose body was also recovered from the water.
The initial finding was made by a fisherman near the I-475 overpass who spotted one of the bodies under a door floating in the river.
The ensuing investigation into the double homicide quickly led to arrests. Three individuals were taken into custody in connection with the deaths of Meeks and Harden. The suspects were identified as 24-year-old Robert Wheeler Jr., 16-year-old Cheveyo I. Molina, and 47-year-old Melinda Kelly. The nature of the crime pointed towards a calculated effort to conceal the victims, as investigators found a freshly dug, grave-sized hole near the riverbank, approximately 50 feet from where the bodies were discovered.
The legal proceedings brought a series of charges against the three suspects. Robert Wheeler Jr. faced charges of first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, and a felony firearm charge. Cheveyo I. Molina was charged with two counts of first-degree murder and felony firearm. Melinda Kelly was charged with tampering with evidence and being an accessory after the fact to a felony.
As the case moved through the justice system, plea deals were reached with some of the defendants. In July 2019, Cheveyo Molina pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder, along with other charges. In exchange for his testimony against the other defendants, the first-degree murder charges were dropped. He was subsequently sentenced to serve between 20 and 30 years in prison. Reports also indicated that Robert Wheeler Jr. had reached a similar plea agreement, though the specifics of his sentencing have not been widely publicized. The resolution of the charges against Melinda Kelly also remains less clear in public records.
