PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The man accused of killing a 17 year-old in Providence last summer has been indicted by a statewide grand jury.
Samuel Medina, 25, is facing a first-degree murder charge for allegedly killing Darnell Whitford on July 14, 2023.
Medina turned himself in about a month later.
Police said Whitford was walking near the intersection of Dexter and Waldo streets with a friend when a vehicle pulled up beside them.
Medina and at least three others then got out of the vehicle and began arguing with Whitford. Police say it abruptly ended when Medina reportedly shot Whitford in the stomach at close range.
According to an affidavit obtained by Target 12, detectives obtained video footage from a nearby business that recorded the shooting.
The footage showed Whitford talking to the suspect for about four minutes before he was shot. Police said another person was standing next to Whitford during the interaction.
On the night of the shooting, police obtained a photograph of the suspect and said officers recognized him from a previous incident in 2022 where he was detained, but never charged.