On a February morning in 2019, a tragic series of events unfolded in South Bend, Indiana, culminating in the death of 21-year-old Ruben James Water, a Native American man. Water had picked up two acquaintances, Juan Rojas and Charles Douglas, with the intention of spending time together. The three drove around for a while before parking in Douglas's driveway to smoke marijuana.
It was inside that vehicle that a violent struggle broke out, ending Water's life.
Both Rojas and Douglas were armed with handguns when they entered Water's car. During the altercation in the driveway, both men opened fire. Douglas, who was seated in the backseat directly behind Water, fired a single shot into the back of his head. Rojas, in the passenger seat, shot Water twice in the head and neck. The young man died at the scene, slumped over in the driver's seat of his car. After the shooting, Rojas and Douglas fled into Douglas's house, where they attempted to conceal the handguns used in the killing within a closet ceiling. A neighbor discovered Water's body a few hours later and alerted the authorities.
The subsequent police investigation led to the recovery of the murder weapons from Douglas's home, and ballistic analysis confirmed they were the guns used to kill Water. Both Juan Rojas and Charles Douglas were arrested and charged with murder. During his trial, Douglas claimed he had acted in self-defense, alleging that Water had first threatened Rojas. However, this claim was contested by the prosecution. Testing on the weapons recovered from the scene showed no trace of Water's DNA on the gun he was alleged to have brandished.
In March 2020, Juan Rojas was convicted of Ruben Water's murder and was sentenced to 55 years in prison. The legal proceedings for Charles Douglas were more complex. His initial trial in October 2021 ended with a hung jury, unable to reach a unanimous verdict. However, a subsequent trial found him guilty of murder. He too was sentenced to 55 years in prison for his role in the fatal shooting. An appeal by Douglas, arguing that the jury should have been given the option of a reckless homicide charge, was ultimately unsuccessful, with the court affirming his murder conviction.
