MUNCIE, Ind. (WRTV) A Delaware County jury on Tuesday convicted a Muncie man of murder for the 2024 shooting of a teenager during a robbery.Robert Graham III turned 19 on Sunday and was 16 at the time of the crime. He was also found guilty of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, conspiracy to commit robbery, and obstruction of justice. The jury deliberated for about an hour and a half before returning the verdict.Jurors also determined Graham used a gun during the killing, a finding that could add five to 20 years to his prison sentence.The conviction follows a yearslong legal process beginning with the August 2024 death of 15-year-old LataJohne Phillips. According to court documents, Muncie police responded to a report of a loud noise around 10 p.m. Aug. 14, 2024, at the Creekside Apartments in Muncie. A witness walking a dog found Phillips in some bushes suffering from gunshot wounds to his head and leg. He died later at Riley Childrens Health Indiana University Health hospital in Indianapolis.Surveillance video showed a group of six people, including Graham, walking toward the apartments shortly before the shooting. One witness told police the group intended to make a play, a slang term for a robbery. Police later found several guns and ammunition while searching an apartment where the group had gathered.Delaware County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Hoffman said the case serves as another example of the danger created when young men have access to firearms. He said that teenagers who choose to commit violent adult crimes in the community should be prepared to face prosecution as adults.Hoffman credited the work of his staff, including Chief Deputy Prosecutor Zachary Craig and Deputy Prosecutor Mike Bozoian, along with Muncie Police Department detectives Andrew Sell and Brittany Lyons.Judge Thomas A. Cannon scheduled sentencing for 9 a.m. Sept. 25 in Delaware Circuit Court. Graham faces 45 to 65 years in prison for the murder conviction, with additional time possible for the robbery charges and the firearm enhancement. ...read more read less