Inset (left): Araylius Cornelius (Brown County Sheriff's Office). Inset (right): Emerald Metoxen (Ryan Funeral Home & Crematory). Background: Deckner Avenue in Green Bay, Wis. (Google Maps).
A Wisconsin teenager who fought with another teen who was later found shot to death tried to deny he ever had a gun — but photos posted to social media told a different story.
Araylius Cornelius, 16, was charged as an adult with first-degree intentional homicide in connection with the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Emerald Metoxen. According to a criminal complaint reviewed by Law&Crime, both teenagers were at a house party in Green Bay, Wisconsin, during the late-night hours of June 22 when Metoxen reportedly got into a fight with another person there. In the complaint, the other person was identified by witnesses as "Dockie."
According to the complaint, a female witness said Metoxen told her that "Dockie got in his face and he had to drop him." The witness said Metoxen appeared to be "super hyped and that he wanted to fight."
Police said another female witness saw a man who referred to himself as "Dockie's cousin" when he introduced himself to her at the house party. Later that night, she saw Metoxen talking to "Dockie's cousin," and she told police she saw "Dockie's cousin" shoot Metoxen, who collapsed to the ground.
"Dockie's cousin" was identified by police and witnesses in the complaint as Cornelius.
When police arrived at Deckner Avenue after 11 p.m. on June 22, they found Metoxen on the ground with a gunshot wound to his chest. He was pronounced dead at the scene after lifesaving measures were unsuccessful.
Police said a woman at the scene said, "Dockie's the one who hit [Metoxen] and Ray shot him." "Ray" is listed as an alias for Cornelius in the criminal complaint and in online court records. The same witness said she knew there was a fight happening outside the house party and went to record it on her phone. According to the complaint, she witnessed the alleged shooting and ran to Metoxen's side after he fell to the ground. She called 911 and told police that Metoxen "died as she held his head."
On July 6, police interviewed Cornelius about his alleged involvement. He told police he had nothing to do with the shooting and "denied ever having a gun that night." Police said they showed Cornelius a photo that was taken of him the night of the shooting that allegedly depicted him holding "a purple gripped handgun with an extended magazine," the kind of gun several witnesses said they saw him holding that night.
Cornelius told police "he never said he never had a gun."
When asked what he did with the gun that he was allegedly seen holding in the photo, Cornelius told police he "threw it." According to the complaint, another resident who lived on Deckner Avenue near the house where the party was held found a purple handgun with a black magazine in her yard. She called police, who took the gun and entered it into evidence.
Cornelius was booked into the Brown County Jail, where he is being held on $1 million bond. His next court date is scheduled for Oct. 29.