In the autumn of 2015, the life of 31-year-old Reimundo 'Rey' Camarillo Jr., a male resident of East Chicago, Indiana, was tragically cut short. On the morning of October 12, he was discovered bleeding and face down in an alley behind his home in the 4200 block of Euclid Avenue. An autopsy would later confirm that he had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the back.
This violent act set in motion an investigation that would soon lead to a prominent local figure.
Within two days of the discovery of Camarillo's body, authorities charged East Chicago City Councilman Robert 'Coop' Battle with murder. The investigation revealed that Battle and Camarillo had engaged in an argument outside of Battle's residence on the day of the shooting. Prosecutors asserted that the dispute was over a drug debt, alleging that Battle was involved in drug trafficking. The councilman's defense attorney initially claimed self-defense, stating that Camarillo had brandished a knife. However, investigators at the scene found no evidence of a knife or any other weapon.
The legal proceedings took a significant turn when the case was moved to federal court. The charges against Battle were expanded to include not only the murder of Camarillo but also drug trafficking offenses. Federal prosecutors alleged that Battle had been involved in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine since 2006 and that Camarillo's killing was carried out in furtherance of this criminal enterprise. Evidence presented indicated that Battle was a drug dealer who had been supplied with narcotics by Camarillo.
Faced with a mountain of evidence, Robert Battle ultimately entered into a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. He pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, which resulted in the death of Reimundo Camarillo Jr. As a result of his guilty plea, Battle was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. The resolution of the case brought a measure of closure to Camarillo's grieving family, who remembered him as a devoted husband and father.
