By Linda Cicoira — Two men were freed from Accomack Jail about three years ago after being charged with murdering a 22-year-old Horntown man because a prosecutor believed there wasn’t enough evidence to convict them.
Those same suspects were indicted Monday by an Accomack grand jury for that premeditated murder of Robert Franklin Baytops IV, 22, of Horntown. The crimes occurred Feb. 4, 2016.
Jahad Areil Triggs, 24, of Chincoteague Road in New Church, and Tavone Tyrell Cropper, 28, of Cedar Street in Pocomoke City, Md., were also each indicted on a count of using a firearm in a threatening manner. Investigator Sam Castiglia, of the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office, gave information about the case to the jury.
Sheriff Todd Godwin said Triggs is in custody in Maryland. Police are looking for Cropper. The pair were released from jail in April of 2016 after former Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Matthew Brenner made the decision not to go forward with the charges.
“I thought we had a good case,” Godwin said back in 2016. “They’re out. It’s not our decision whether or not they prosecute. We do the best we can. … We’re not looking for anybody else.”
The sheriff declined to comment Monday but gave credit to Commonwealth’s Attorney Spencer Morgan and Castiglia for pursuing it.
Look for a complete story of Accomack indictments in the next edition of the Eastern Shore Post.
