A Louisville, Kentucky, woman has been arrested after she allegedly filed a false missing person’s report for her stepson, who was the main suspect in an ongoing murder investigation.
Officers with the Louisville Metro Police Department arrested Jill Brooks on Monday, February 9, in connection with the December 20, 2025, shooting death of a 20-year-old man.
Police confirmed Brooks, 51, is charged with hindering prosecution or apprehension and falsely reporting an incident to law enforcement, according to WDRB.
Louisville Metro Police said Brooks is the stepmother of a 17-year-old who faces charges of murder, robbery and tampering with physical evidence in the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Milton Ritchie in southwest Louisville.
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Authorities have not released the teen’s name because he is a minor.
According to her arrest citation reviewed by the outlet, Brooks allegedly told her stepson to delete his messages and then reported him missing at his request in an earlier message. The missing person’s report was filed on December 22, 2025 — two days after the shooting.
The Louisville Metro Police Department did not immediately respond to Us Weekly’s request for comment. It remains unclear whether Brooks has secured legal representation or entered a plea.
Brooks is the fourth person arrested in connection with Ritchie’s death. In January, police arrested Daontez Hodges and charged him with murder, robbery, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and unlawful transaction with a minor, according to WDRB. It is unclear whether he has entered a plea or hired an attorney.
The fatal shooting happened on Fordhaven Road in December 2025. LMPD officers found Ritchie suffering from gunshot wounds outside a vehicle that had crashed into a ditch. Investigators later determined he had been shot in the neck and lower back.
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Before the shooting, Ritchie had been invited to meet a 15-year-old girl. Court documents state that when he arrived, he was greeted by the girl, Hodges, 19, and several others. Police said Hodges then fired two shots from a rifle, killing Ritchie.
Investigators later said the meeting with the 15-year-old was part of a “revenge” plot. However, authorities have not explained how Ritchie knew those involved or what led to the alleged motive.
Multiple witnesses called 911 to report the shooting. Court records state that several witnesses told police a large crowd was present in the area when Ritchie was shot.
Police arrested the 15-year-old girl a few days after Ritchie’s death. She has since been charged with complicity to murder and robbery, according to the outlet. Officers confirmed her arrest but declined to release her name because she is a minor.
It remains unclear whether any of those arrested have entered pleas or retained attorneys.
The investigation into Ritchie’s death is ongoing.
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