A Massachusetts man was arraigned Monday in connection with a 2008 double homicide in Taunton.
Following a grand jury indictment, Keith Cox, 26, of Berkley, was charged with murdering brothers Kevin Vargas, 23, and Shawn Vargas, 21, inside their apartment on February 24, 2008.
Prosecutors said the men fired into the Vargas' studio apartment in a 'robbery gone wrong.'
"Mr. Cox claims he brought would-be marijuana buyers to a location in Taunton and Mr. Vargas and others then robbed the would-be buyers,” said the prosecutor.
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Kyla Carroll’s two sons, then just two and four years old — allegedly watched as the men allegedly shot and killed their father and his brother.
“They watched two people be murdered,” said Kyla Caroll.
Her sister, Donna Carroll, said the kids didn’t understand what happened to their father but at least now there’s some justice being served.
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“How could someone be so cruel to do it in front of children,” Donna Carroll said outside of court. “It’s just heartbreaking to have to explain to them they’re not coming back.”
Shawn Vargas’ fiancee, Amanda Gross, told necn she met Cox once.
“He didn’t bring any trouble to the house,” she said. “After that, he left and I never seen him again.”
Gross was pregnant with her second child with him at the time — a daughter he never had the chance to meet.
“He was nothing but good to me. He was a good person, he might have made dumb decisions in his life, everyone does,” Gross said. “But all in all he was a very, very good person.”
Cox was held without bail and is expected to be back in court mid-November.
