Police say the victim showed up on a homeowner’s porch covered in blood.
By Aaron Chatman
Published: Jun. 23, 2024 at 1:48 PM CDT
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - Three people are behind bars after a violent attack left a man in critical condition Saturday night in Evansville.
That’s according to the Evansville Police Department, who says officers were called to the 100 block of E. Tennessee Street around 10:30 p.m.
The person who called 911 told police a man showed up on his porch covered in blood.
Just a few minutes after showing up, the man lost consciousness and stopped breathing.
The victim was rushed from the scene to an emergency room with what medical officials described as severe head trauma.
The Vanderburgh County Coroner’s Office has confirmed the victim has died. Their identity and cause of death has not yet been released.
Police say surveillance footage from the area showed two men attacking him.
Around 10:15 p.m. outside the Sunoco on E. Louisiana Street, police say 35-year-old Charles Ethan Miles ran up to the victim and tried to hit him with an unknown object.
EPD officers say the victim dodged the first strike and then took off running.
According to an affidavit, Miles tried to chase the man but then came back and got into a black Jeep owned by 32-year-old Cade Christopher Kirk.
Footage shows the victim walking north on N. Heidelbach Avenue towards his home at the 200 block of E. Tennessee Street.
Police say Kirk’s Jeep is caught on camera speeding past the victim before turning east onto E. Tennessee Street.
Officers say the car stops three to four houses past the victim’s home, appearing to lie in wait for the victim to return.
As the victim approaches, police say both Kirk and Miles run at him as he walks towards the middle of the intersection.
Kirk is reportedly seen lifting up his shirt and pulling out an unknown object from his waistband.
Police say Miles attacked the victim first, striking him in the head.
The victim allegedly tried to fight back in an attempt to defend himself, causing them to both fall to the ground.
Officers say Kirk and Miles start violently punching the victim in the head while he’s still on the ground.
According to an affidavit, the victim appears to be struck in the head repeatedly over the next 30 seconds or more.
Police say Kirk and Miles eventually stop and return to their vehicle.
Then the victim is seen going to a homeowner’s porch and collapsing a few moments later.
Detectives used evidence and Flock cameras to identify the three suspects as Kirk, Miles and 27-year-old Samantha Brooke Chase.
Police say Chase was seen walking out of the gas station and getting into Kirk’s car as the attack started to happen.
Officers went to Chase’s address on Morton Avenue and found Kirk’s black Jeep parked outside.
EPD used a PA system to order Chase, Kirk and Miles out of the home. They were taken into custody and brought in for questioning.
Detectives say during the interviews, they learned Kirk and Chase are dating each other and Miles lives with them on Morton Ave.
Chase told police she saw the victim at the gas station and they spoke briefly while waiting in line.
According to Chase, the victim was in a relationship with Miles’ wife before she and Miles were married.
Officers say while speaking with Kirk, he claimed he did not know the victim nor why Miles tried to fight him outside the gas station.
After changing his story a few times, police say Kirk admitted to hitting the victim in the head multiple times.
When asked about what he grabbed from his waistband, Kirk said he was just adjusting his belt.
Detectives noted when Kirk was arrested, he had a set of brass knuckles, which he denied using in the attack.
While questioning Miles, he told police the victim sent nude photos of himself to his wife, which upset him deeply.
He said he only remembered going towards the victim at the gas station before falling, and claims he blacked out after and remembers nothing else.
Charles Ethan Miles and Cade Christopher Kirk were arrested and are facing charges of Attempted Murder.
Samantha Brooke Chase was also arrested on a Failure to Appear charges and has since bonded out.
Police say at the time of writing the affidavit, the victim was in intensive care, completely unconscious, unresponsive and unable to breathe on his own.
Officials confirmed his passing Tuesday morning.
EPD says the suspects’ charges could be upgraded to Murder.
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