Prosecutors have upgraded charges against murder suspects Ricky Javon Gray and Ray Joseph Dandridge from conspiracy to commit murder to specific and multiple homicide in the brutal slayings of the Harvey family Jan. 1 and the Tucker-Baskerville family Jan. 6.
As of Jan. 30, Gray, 28, is charged in Richmond with five counts of first-degree murder and one count of grand larceny, and in Chesterfield County with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit larceny, says Tara Dunlop, spokeswoman for the Richmond Sheriff’s Office.
Gray is being held at Richmond City Jail where deputies have been alerted, Dunlop says, “to use extreme caution.”
Likewise, Dandridge is charged in Richmond with five counts of first-degree murder and one count of grand larceny, and in Chesterfield County with two counts of kidnapping, two counts of robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit grand larceny, says Lt. William Sanders, watch commander at Riverside Regional Jail, where Dandridge is being held.
Unless a grand jury returns a direct indictment for the suspects, the men will appear separately for preliminary hearings in Richmond Feb. 15.
Early this month, Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Herring requested and received a gag order on the case from Richmond Circuit Court Judge Margaret P. Spencer. Subsequently, Chief Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Matthew Geary has said it’s likely the case will become a capital one, invoking the death penalty.
