COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A trial in the murder of a woman who tried to stop a carjacking while her son was in the backseat will proceed to adult court.
As previously reported, steps to advance the case against a defendant in the murder of Alexa Stakely will advance through Franklin County Court of Common Pleas after a hearing Wednesday. Then, it was determined that Ray-Yon Hawkins would be tried as an adult.
Driver ejected in two-vehicle crash south of Columbus
Hawkins, along with another teenager and 20-year-old Gerald Dowling Jr., were charged in the death of Stakely, who was found at 1:30 a.m. on July 11, 2024, lying near the intersection of Blue Knoll Drive and Annual Drive, just north of Canal Winchester. Stakely was attempting to stop a carjacking in the southeast Columbus neighborhood of White Ash, where three suspects had entered her vehicle, which was parked at the White Oak Park Condominiums.
Dowling, along with two 16-year-old boys, jumped in Stakely’s car and drove off, police said. Stakely ran after the car, screaming for her child, before being struck and thrown to the ground. The result was a fatal head wound, and she was pronounced dead at 8:43 a.m.
Dowling, now 20, and the two teenagers surrendered two weeks later. The teens were charged with murder and were slated to be tried as adults. The boys were originally charged with murder alongside Dowling, who was assigned a $10 million bond in July 2024…