Men indicted in gambling den robbery, killings in New York

Tuesday, July 25, 2000 | 9:34 a.m.

The sealed indictment was the first filing of charges against Shondell Paul, 19, and his brother, Tajuan Paul, 22, in the deaths of Henderson Griffin, 62, and Vernon Griffin, 39. The Griffins were not related.

The indictment also named three other defendants - Darius Fort, 26; Bryan Hunter, 21; and William Jackson, 19 - who had previously been arrested and charged in the killings.

All five defendants were charged with second-degree murder under the theory the two victims were killed during a felony robbery at the gambling house. The indictment does not detail which of the defendants was responsible for firing the shots that killed the two men or injured the third victim, Robert Anderson, 47.

The 23-count indictment was opened Monday as the Pauls were arraigned before Onondaga County Judge Anthony Aloi, who set bail at $100,000 cash or bond for each brother.

The other three defendants are to be arraigned next week before Onondaga County Judge Joseph Fahey. They have been held in the Justice Center jail since their arrests the week after the robbery.

Witnesses have told police that the Pauls had been gambling, left after losing several hundred dollars and returned to rob the remaining patrons.

Friends and acquaintances often gathered at Griffin's house to gamble and drink, according to police. He had been ticketed several times for selling alcohol and running games and also had been previously robbed, police said.