Indictment issued in murder of Warren man Juvar King

Juvar King

A Cuyahoga County grand jury has indicted a Cleveland man on aggravated murder and other charges in connection with the death of Juvar King, who was reported missing from Warren in February.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley announced Wednesday that Nathaniel Crockett, 28, faces charges including aggravated murder, two counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault, kidnapping, arson, gross abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and having weapons while under disability.

"Juvar King’s family has waited several months for answers," O’Malley said in a statement. "Hopefully, this indictment today helps shed light on this horrific crime."

King was reported missing on Feb. 5, having last been seen the previous day in Warren, Ohio. His vehicle was found burned in Cleveland on the evening of Feb. 4. King's body was discovered on March 17 in an abandoned building on Chapman Avenue in East Cleveland. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner determined King's death was a homicide caused by a single gunshot wound to the head.

Investigators determined King traveled to the vicinity of Crockett’s Cleveland residence on Feb. 4. King’s vehicle and a vehicle associated with Crockett were then seen traveling through Cleveland and East Cleveland before reaching the location where King's vehicle was set on fire. Phone records, surveillance video, and DNA evidence linked Crockett to the crimes, according to the prosecutor’s office.

The investigation involved the East Cleveland Police Department, the Cleveland Division of Police, the Cleveland Division of Fire Arson Unit, and the Warren Police Department.

Crockett was previously arrested on June 12 by East Cleveland Police on charges of aggravated murder in connection with King's death. He had also been charged with arson by the Cleveland Fire Arson Unit on Feb. 21.

Crockett will be arraigned at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center at a later date. The investigation is ongoing.