JAMES CITY COUNTY — Two people previously charged in connection to a January assault and robbery at a residence in the 9400 block of Diascund Reservoir Road that led to the death of a 67-year-old James City County man have each been charged with Felony Murder and Abduction.
According to the James City County Police Department, following weeks of investigation by its Criminal Investigations Unit in collaboration with the Williamsburg/James City County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, 29-year-old Harley James McClure Hutchens and 28-year-old Amber Nicole Johnson, both of James City County, have each been charged in connection with the death of 67-year-old Jose Medellin on Jan. 31.
According to officials, on Jan. 31 at approximately 2:04 p.m., the James City County Police Department responded to a report of an assault in progress with injuries at the residence. Upon arrival, officers found a female with visible injuries outside. Once the perimeter was secured, officers entered the home at 2:26 p.m., where they encountered an unresponsive male.
Officers immediately initiated life-saving measures until James City County Fire Department and York County Department of Fire Life Safety personnel arrived and took over resuscitation efforts. The male, a 67-year-old resident of James City County, was pronounced deceased at approximately 3 p.m. by medical personnel and was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Norfolk for further evaluation, police said.
The injured female was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Identities of the victims are being withheld pending notification.
The JCCPD Criminal Investigations Unit assumed responsibility for the death investigation, police said, and as the case progressed, detectives developed leads connecting the incident to a robbery and assault that had taken place the previous night in the same vicinity. Two individuals were taken into custody shortly thereafter.
The suspects were subsequently charged in connection with both cases. Hutchens was charged with Robbery, Strangulation, two counts of Conspiracy to Commit a Felony, Preventing the Calling of 911, Destruction of Property, Unauthorized Entry into a Motor Vehicle and Breaking and Entering into a Dwelling, while Johnson was charged with Robbery, Breaking and Entering into a Dwelling, and two counts of Conspiracy to Commit a Felony.
Both defendants remain incarcerated at Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail without bond and are scheduled to appear in court on May 2.
The investigation remains active and ongoing as detectives continue working closely with prosecutors to ensure a thorough case presentation, police said.
