LAFAYETTE — A Tippecanoe County judge and his wife were shot last weekend, two days before an alleged gang member's jury trial in his court.
Raylen Ferguson, Thomas Moss, Blake Smith, Amanda Milsap and Zenada Greer face felony charges including conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder and intimidation in connection with the shooting
Judge Steven Meyer and his wife Kimberly, were shot on Jan.18 by Ferguson, who fired multiple rounds through their front door while pretending to look for a lost dog, a probable cause affidavit states.
Thomas Moss trial
The shooting occurred two days before Thomas Moss, an alleged member of the Phantom Motorcycle Club, was scheduled to begin a jury trial in Meyer's courtroom.
Moss had filed a motion to continue his January 20 trial, but Meyer denied the request on January 7. The judge had summoned 55 jurors for the trial.
Surveillance plays key role in investigation
Court documents reveal Ferguson visited the Meyer home before the shooting.
On January 16 around 10:40 p.m., he showed up with food and a 2-liter soda, claiming to be making a delivery, the affidavit states. Judge Meyer told him through the door that he had the wrong house since they hadn't ordered food.
According to court documents, video shows Ferguson knocked with the same pattern he used during the shooting. Restaurant video shows someone calling himself "Drew" buying the food at 10:24 p.m. and leaving in a dark car matching a Hyundai Kona later found near the shooting.
On January 18, Ferguson returned wearing a mask, sunglasses and hood, court documents state. When the Meyers asked who was there, he said he was looking for his dog. When Judge Meyer said they didn't have his dog, Ferguson then fired shots through the door.
The affidavit states police found items Ferguson left behind, including his mask, sunglasses, the shotgun and a dog leash that matched his cover story.
According to court documents, the Hyundai Kona was key evidence. The car belongs to Greer in Kentucky but had a stolen license plate. Police spotted it near the shooting scene and tracked it driving toward Lafayette on January 16 and toward Smith's house on January 18 after the shooting.
Court documents state Ferguson's DNA was found inside the mask. The shotgun was purchased by Smith on January 5 from a Lafayette gun store along with matching bullets, according to the affidavit.
Gang connections
Court documents reveal all five suspects are connected through gangs and social media. Smith, who goes by "Red," belongs to the Phantom Motorcycle Club and knows Moss, the affidavit states. Smith's house serves as the club's Lafayette headquarters, according to court documents.
The Phantom Motorcycle Club calls itself a "1%" outlaw club involved in criminal activity, according to their own rulebook, police found at Moss's house.
Court documents show Moss belongs to both the Phantom Motorcycle Club and Vice Lords gang. Ferguson's social media posts show Vice Lords connections with captions like "Viceagent" and "Lordism," according to the affidavit. Ferguson also works for Moss's trucking company.
Witness intimidation
According to court documents, the conspiracy reached Pennsylvania. A witness scheduled to testify against Moss in his January 20 trial, called police after seeing news about the judge shooting, the affidavit states.
Court documents reveal the witness said a masked person came to her Pennsylvania home on January 12, breathing heavily and walking unsteadily. The person knocked and left. Video shows the masked individual had the same walk as Ferguson.
The same Hyundai Kona was seen in Pennsylvania on January 11, 12, and 15.
According to the affidavit, the witness said Milsap called her weeks before the shooting, offering $10,000 from "Moss and the Vice Lords" if she agreed not to testify. The witness refused the offer.
Court documents say Ferguson and Smith have no connection to Judge Meyer except through their gang ties to Moss.
Both Judge Meyer and his wife remain hospitalized but stable.
Judge Meyer released this statement to the community after the shooting:
“I am so grateful for the outpouring of support from friends, the community, court colleagues, and law enforcement. I want to express my heartfelt thanks to my medical team. I am receiving excellent care, and I am improving. Kim is also deeply appreciative for the community support, and she, too, is healing.
I want the community to know that I have strong faith in our judicial system. This horrific violence will not shake my belief in the importance of peacefully resolving disputes. I remain confident we have the best judicial system in the world, and I am proud to be a part of it.”
