In the early hours of a Tuesday morning in Fort Wayne, Indiana, a young man's life was cut short in a sudden act of violence. Myquel Lmann Middlebrook, a 22-year-old male, was fatally shot on January 19, 2021. The incident, which marked the city's second homicide of the year, unfolded at the Hawthorne Suites hotel.
The fatal encounter began with a heated argument between Middlebrook and 28-year-old Joseph Rose.
The verbal dispute escalated tragically when Rose pulled out a gun and shot Middlebrook in the chest. After the shooting, Rose reportedly went to another room in the hotel and demanded assistance in his attempt to flee.
The Fort Wayne Police Department, aided by numerous tips from the public, was able to quickly identify and locate the suspect. Joseph Rose was taken into custody on the evening of the shooting and subsequently charged with murder. The Allen County Coroner's Office later confirmed that Middlebrook's cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest.
Ultimately, Joseph Rose pleaded guilty to the murder of Myquel Middlebrook. In a plea deal, an additional charge for unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, along with a sentencing enhancement for the use of a firearm in the commission of the crime, were dismissed. Rose was sentenced to 55 years in prison for the killing.
