MERCER COUNTY, Ohio (WANE) A teen charged in a brutal 2011 double homicide pleaded guilty to six charges on Thursday. Trevin M.A. Sanders Roark is one of two accused in connection to the November 2011 murders of Robert and Colleen Grube in rural Fort Recovery.
Sanders Roark was 17 when the murders he is accused of took place and charges were therefore initially filed in the Mercer County Juvenile Court. A hearing in June 2013 determined that all 27 charges against him would be tried in adult court. The charges against Sanders include the murders of Robert and Colleen Grube, kidnapping, aggravated robbery, and aggravated burglary.
In Thursday’s hearing, Sanders Roark was but he was only convicted on a handful of those charges. The six charges include two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated robbery, and two counts of aggravated burglary.
Despite the fact that Sanders Roark was tried in adult court, he cannot face the death penalty because he was a minor at the time of the murder. According to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, he could face life in prison without parole.
The sentencing for Sanders Roark is set for April 15th.
Robert Grube and his daughter Colleen Grube, were found bound by duct tape and shot to death in their Fort Recovery home in late November 2011.
Bryant Rhoades, 22, of Union City, is also accused in the murders. He was arrested in March 2013. He was initially charged with obstruction of justice for giving false information. He pleaded not guilty to those charges in April 2013. In June, he was charged with murder after detectives learned more about the gruesome incident from Sanders. There is currently no hearing set up for Rhoades.
NewsChannel 15 reported in June 2013 that Sanders had admitted to shooting and killing Colleen Grube while high on meth. Officials say Sanders told them he and three others were high on meth and wanted to steal pills, electronics, and jewelry from the Grube’s. He says an unknown man and woman tied up the father and daughter in their Fort Recovery home.
Sanders admitted to shooting Colleen Grube with her father’s long gun, then says he handed the gun to Rhoades, who shot Robert Grube.
The Mercer County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the case. Anyone with information is asked to call or email the anonymous tip line. The number is 567-890-TIPS (8477). The email can be found by clicking here. According to the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, tips can be left 24 hours a day and all leads will be followed up by an investigator.
November 2011 killings
On November 30, 2011, Cassandra Grube found her father-in-law Robert, 70 and her sister-in-law, Colleen, 47, bound by duct tape and dead from gunshot wounds when she went to check on them at 9:00 am at their home at 2216 Burrville Road.
Officials determined that Colleen was last seen alive shortly after 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 29, 2011. Colleen and Robert were found about 16 hours later.
Investigators narrowed the time of the incident to a two hour window.
There was also a laptop computer missing from the scene.
In September of 2012, the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department announced it was offering a $20,000 reward, up from an initial $10,000 offer, for information that would lead to a conviction in the case. It’s not known if a tip led police to the suspects or if the arrests were made based on the nearly 200 pieces of evidence they had gathered.