MARION, IL — Just before 3 A.M. on March 24, 2012, 21-year-old Molly Young received a text from her boyfriend, Richie Minton, simply stating, “Help me.” Molly rushed to Minton’s apartment and, several hours later, was discovered dead from a single gunshot wound to the left side of her head.
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At 9:02 A.M., Minton’s roommate found her body, woke the sleeping Richie, who called 911. Minton, a 21-year-old Carbondale Police Dispatcher, recognized the voice on the other end as a coworker named Amber and said, “My girlfriend just committed suicide.” Initially, Minton said Young had overdosed on drugs. He soon called 911 back and said:
“Hey, Amber… can you send the sergeant? She didn’t O.D. I just found my gun laying underneath her.”
Minton, who had twice previously been arrested for DUI, said he passed out drunk the night before and must have slept through the gun going off just a few feet away from him.
![Richie Minton, 2013 DUI arrest mug shot [Illinois State Police]](http://crimefeed.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Richie-Minton-Illinois-State-Police-1-300x201.jpg)
Richie Minton, 2013 DUI arrest mug shot [Illinois State Police]
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Illinois State Police took over the investigation and, immediately, Minton lawyered up and would not cooperate. He allowed no searches, and refused to provide samples of his DNA, blood, urine, or fingernail clippings. The following day, the coroner called off any need for a homicide investigation by declaring that Young had committed suicide.
Six years later, Young’s loved ones and numerous other observers question that ruling. They also continue to ask whether or not some kind of cover-up got Minton off the hook and kept him there … so far.
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Those who contend that Molly Young did not commit suicide cite the following facts as evidence:
• The gunshot entered the left side of Young’s head from a downward angle, indicating it was fired from a left hand. Molly was right-handed.
• No fingerprints from Young appeared on the gun, nor was any gunpowder residue detected on her hands.
• Young had no experience with firearms and frequently expressed disdain for them.
• Fresh bruises covered Young’s body, indicating a struggle and/or that her remains had been moved.
• Minton’s DNA turned up under Young’s fingernails. Again, he had long, fresh scratches on his head.
• Before police took Minton to the station, they allowed him to wash his hands and change his clothes.
• 50 “individual drops” of Young’s blood — some smaller than a single millimeter — were “spattered” all over Minton’s pajama pants. Investigators said they “could not determine” how they got there.
• Since Young’s death, Minton’s attorney has relentlessly battled every undertaking by Illinois State Police to extract information from his client, forcing a warrant process to precede each step of the investigation.
Regardless of all listed above, Molly Young’s official cause of death went down as suicide, while Richie Minton has continually worked as a dispatcher for the St. Louis Fire Department.
As for how the Carbondale Police Department came to close the case so quickly, officials claimed to have found searches on Young’s computer for “suicide” and “how to kill yourself.” Police also said that Minton’s roommate got a text at 4:40 A.M. from Young’s phone that read:
“I think I’m gonna shoot myself in the head. I’m really sorry if you come home to that.“
Young’s family says that the computer searches occurred on nights when Molly was out with friends and could easily have been hacks. They also point out that there’s no way to know who exactly sent the final text, as Minton certainly would have had access to the dead woman’s phone.
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Larry Young, the deceased’s father, has continually pursued the truth regarding his daughter’s demise. He has taken the Carbondale Police to task for, at best, botching the investigation and perhaps even “looking out” for one of their own. Not only does Minton work as a dispatcher, but both of his parents work in law enforcement as well.
Larry Young told the press:
“[Molly] knows that I will never give up on this, and I will never give up. I have seen too much evidence of homicide, and the lack of ignoring a homicide. I will never give up. I am convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that my daughter was murdered. The only way to get justice now is to get publicity. It’s a sad state of affairs.”
To that end, Larry Young says he is grateful for media attention to the case, and the resulting public pressure that got Molly’s death certificate reclassified from “suicide” to “undetermined.”
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Still, Larry Young’s quest has come up against multiple roadblocks. In 2015, a judge dismissed the family’s wrongful-death lawsuit, stating that it had been filed three months past the date the statute of limitations expired.
To date, the case remains open, with the State Attorney’s Appellate holding the official line by stating: “Although this was a tragic end to a young lady’s life, there is simply insufficient evidence at this time to charge anyone as accountable for murder.”
Undaunted in his efforts, Larry Young presses on, saying: “We believe it’s a big travesty of justice that the investigators aren’t investigating a murder.”
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Read more:
“Justice for Molly” Facebook Page
WPSD
Riverfront Times
The Southern
Crime Watch Daily
Unresolved Mysteries
The Epoch Times
Main photo: Molly Young [courtesy the Young Family/Investigation Discovery]
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