In the fall of 2020, the lives of two teenage friends were tragically cut short in a quiet community in Northwest Indiana. Maxwell Kroll, a 17-year-old male, and his close friend, 18-year-old Elijah Robinson, were found deceased on October 16, 2020. The grim discovery was made inside a residence in the 3900 block of West 51st Avenue, an area in unincorporated Calumet Township on the fringes of Gary and Griffith.
It was the girlfriend of one of the teens who stumbled upon the heartbreaking scene after she grew worried when she was unable to reach him by phone.
Responding to a 911 call, law enforcement arrived to find both Kroll and Robinson had sustained fatal gunshot wounds. The Lake County Sheriff's Department immediately launched a double homicide investigation into the violent deaths of the two young men. Kroll was a senior at Calumet New Tech High School with plans to attend a trade school to become a welder after graduation. He was remembered for his infectious laugh, bright smile, and incredible sense of humor.
The investigation into the double homicide led to the arrests of three individuals. Authorities charged Dawn M. Carden, who was 42 at the time, 36-year-old Alvino S. Amaya, and 19-year-old Elijah D. Robinson with two counts of murder each in connection with the slayings. Investigators believe the motive for the killings was retaliation for a stolen handgun. A witness recounted to police that on the night before the bodies were discovered, she had been on a FaceTime call with the victim, Elijah Robinson, when a man identified as Amaya began yelling and demanding the whereabouts of a gun. Robinson, in distress, denied having the weapon.
In the ensuing legal proceedings, Alvino S. 'Vino' Amaya was convicted by a Lake County jury on two counts of murder. The conviction brought a measure of resolution to the families of Maxwell Kroll and Elijah Robinson and the community that was shaken by the violent loss of two of its young members. Dawn M. Carden and Alvino S. Amaya had also been previously detained on federal firearms charges. In addition to the murder charge, Carden faced charges of dealing a narcotic drug and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
