05-03-2025
14-year-old is 3rd teen charged with murder in Feb. 2 Anderson shooting
ANDERSON — A third Anderson teen has been charged with murder in the Feb. 2 death of Dayla Swain, who was caught in gunfire reportedly targeting a murder trial witness.
Jo'Maijze 'Biggie' Larry, 14, Anderson, turned himself in Sunday to Anderson police and has been waived to adult court on charges of murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, reckless homicide and child in possession of a firearm.
Larry, who was accompanied by his father and an attorney when he turned himself in, was detained Tuesday at the Madison County Juvenile Detention Center without bond.
The Madison County Prosecutor's Office previously filed murder charges in the Feb. 2 shooting — near Sonny Ray's Café, in the 1500 block of South Madison Avenue — against Rashawn Darrius Samuels, 18, Anderson, and Kyree M. Craver, 17, Anderson.
Larry met with Samuels and Craver on Jan. 31 in a parking lot at the Geater Community Center in Anderson, where they discussed what action to take against a witness in the murder trial of Donavan Harris, according to police.
Two days later, Swain was caught in the crossfire and shot to death while talking to the Harris murder trial witness, who was in a Ford F150 pickup outside of Sonny Ray's. The murder trial witness fled the shooting scene in the pickup, according to police.
Harris is charged with murder and related felonies in the Nov. 24, 2024, shooting death of Jullian Craig, 15, during a drug deal. Harris is scheduled to go on trial May 6 in Madison Circuit Court Division 1.
Court documents allege that Samuels is affiliated with 'Mickey Cobra Nation,' a 'criminal organization with ties originating in Chicago.' The documents state that the organization was founded by members of Samuels' family.
The documents refer to a 'known dispute' between Mickey Cobra Nation and the Harris murder trial witness, who is not named in this story, in keeping with Herald Bulletin policy on witnesses.
Samuels, who was arrested last week in Milwaukee, reportedly told police that he took Larry with him to Wisconsin after the Feb. 2 shooting because Larry was scared to remain in Anderson, where people were accusing him of being the shooter.
In a Feb. 4 Instagram post, Larry said he wouldn't return to Anderson until the case was over, according to the affidavit.
Police said this week that the investigation of the Feb. 2 shooting is ongoing 'and other persons of interest are being actively pursued.'
