Fourth suspect in Kent State homicide to be tried as adult

A+fourth+suspect+in+the+Feb.+7+homicide+of+Kent+State+student+Nick+Massa+will+be+tried+as+an+adult+in+the+Portage+County+Common+Pleas+Court.%C2%A0

A fourth suspect in the Feb. 7 homicide of Kent State student Nick Massa will be tried as an adult in the Portage County Common Pleas Court. 

Alex Delaney-Gesing

The fourth suspect involved in the Feb. 7 homicide of a Kent State freshman will be tried as an adult in the Portage County Common Pleas Court. The suspect, 17-year-old Anton J. Planicka, is the last of the suspects to appear in court.

The three other suspects include Marquis C.T. Grier, 17, Ty A. Kremling, 17, and Damantae D. Graham, 19. Records indicate they have all pleaded not guilty to the charges and will also be tried as adults.

The charges come following the shooting death of 18-year-old Nick Massa, a resident of Westlake, in an apartment at Ryan Place apartments in Kent.

Planicka was moved from the county’s juvenile court at the end of May, according to court records and as reported by the Record Courier.

Planicka has been charged with kidnapping, aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery and aggravated murder, according to court records. Kremling, Grier and Graham have already been charged with the same felonies.

Court dates have been set for all suspects except Planicka.

Kremling will appear for a pretrial hearing tomorrow, with a jury trial scheduled to begin on June 28. Grier is also set to appear in court for a criminal jury trial on June 28.

Graham will appear in court for pretrial hearings on July 1 and July 8. A trial hearing is scheduled for Oct. 25, after requesting and being granted additional time to prepare for an adequate defense, according to records.

Planicka is currently being held on a $2 million bond.

Alex is the editor of The Summer Kent Stater and KentWired. Contact her at [email protected].