3 arrested in beating of Adrian athlete

1/22/2005

Madison

After a seven-week investigation, three Lenawee County men have been arrested for the early December beating of an Adrian College basketball player, Lenawee County sheriff's deputies said.

Reginald Williams, 22, of Adrian was arraigned yesterday in the county's circuit court on an assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder charge.

Jason Elmore, 24, of Adrian has been charged with assault and battery.

Johnny Madison, 22, of Tecumseh was arraigned Thursday on assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder, assault and battery, and possession of cocaine charges.

On Dec. 3, Michael Rodgers, 26, and some of his friends became involved in a verbal confrontation with a group of men after leaving the L.A. Caf. After Mr. Rodgers' group entered a vehicle, a member of the other group began jumping on the vehicle's hood.

That led to a fight during which Mr. Rodgers allegedly was kicked and punched by the suspects, fracturing his skull in the process, deputies said.

Mr. Rodgers was hospitalized for his injuries but has returned to school and is back playing basketball, Sheriff Larry Richardson said. "It's a remarkable thing," the sheriff said.

Mr. Richardson said Detective Bob Wolverton's investigation took time because witnesses had to be tracked down and their accounts of the incident corroborated.

"We had to find out who did what to whom," he said.

Mr. Richardson called the case an isolated incident. But he said the suspects are known participants in the area's escalating hard-drugs scene.

"This is something we're going to have to take a stand on," he said.

Mr. Madison is in the Lenawee County jail awaiting a Jan. 31 pretrial hearing. Bond has been set at $255,000.

Williams also is in the county jail. He was denied bond because of a parole violation, deputies said. Mr. Elmore is out on bond.