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Suspects in custody after robberies across 3 states

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Two suspects are now in custody after police say they committed a string of robberies spanning three states.

24-Hour News 8 first reported on this gas station robbery in Whiteland last month. Police say it was our story that helped investigators connect a string of robberies and apprehend the suspects.

The robbery suspects are now in custody after nine violent robberies that started in Indiana and went through Illinois and Missouri.

Whiteland Police Chief Rick Shipp said detectives in Missouri saw our story online and made the connection, based on similarities in the cases.

“The news clip we had done with you on Channel 8, observed that, and said that looked like their suspects. That started the tie-in. We greatly appreciate your work. If It hadn’t been for that, we wouldn’t be able to make a connect. Especially being out of state,” said Chief Shipp.

Much like the Circle K robbery in Whiteland that was caught on tape, police say suspects robbed a clerk at gunpoint in another small town: 450 miles away in Higginsville, Missouri. Like the Whiteland robbery, police say the suspects shot at the clerk four times. But unlike in the Whiteland case, they didn’t miss.

“I’m not sure if this is the only robbery where they did shoot somebody else. As far as we know, it’s the only one,” said Chief Shipp.

The victim is expected to make a full recovery. Police in Higginsville arrested 23-year-old Victor Linton and 19-year-old Allen McCray. Both are from Omaha, Nebraska, and authorities haven’t provided a connection to the three states.

The FBI and federal prosecutors are now working with law enforcement from Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. Police say there is evidence that ties the gun to the nine robberies.

“The caliber is the same, and we believe that once they run ballistics, it’ll be the same gun used in these robberies,” said Chief Shipp.

During the Whiteland robbery, early in the morning on April 19, the suspects forced a clerk to empty the register at gunpoint. They threatened to kill him and his wife, who happened to be at the store. After the robbery the clerk, went to set off an alarm at the back door, and police say the suspects then fired at least four shots at him, but missed.

The suspects are being held in Missouri and face federal and state charges.

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