Charges filed in double murder at Laurel Woods apartments

Charges have been filed against a suspect in the double homicide at the Laurel Woods apartments on June 18.

Rease Pence, 17, has been charged with two counts of murder and a firearm enhancement.

Pence has been charged as an adult.

Pence is accused of killing 28-year-old Jamie Binns and 29-year-old Samantha Lawson, both of Niles.

One June 18 just before 2 a.m., South Bend Police responded to the apartments after the bodies of Binns and Lawson were found in a vehicle in the parking lot. Both had been shot, police said.

During the investigation, police reviewed surveillance video from the complex. It showed Binns' vehicle arriving at the complex at 12:36 a.m. The rear passenger door opened, gunshots were fired, and two people got out of the vehicle, according to the probable cause affidavit.

The two people walk out of the frame, then a dark colored vehicle is seen traveling south on Laurel Woods Court.

Police reviewed the phones of both victims.

Facebook messages showed Pence asked Binns for a ride from the 600 block of N. 6th Street in Niles to the Laurel Woods Apartments, according to the probable cause affidavit.

While reviewing Pence's iCloud account, investigators learned Pence turned off his location services several hours before the murders, reports said.

His Apple Health information also showed movement at the time Binns picked up Pence and at the time of the shooting, reports said.

He also had a search for "Do latex gloves leave fingerprints" reports said.

Witnesses at the home on 6th Street in Niles confirmed Pence was there the night of the shooting. A witness said Pence and another man left the home when Binns arrived.

When the men returned later, Pence told the witness he shot Binns and Lawson, according to the probable cause affidavit.