Dai'Ghia Hogan died along I-70. Her accused killer avoids murder charge in plea deal

INDIANAPOLIS — A man charged in the fatal shooting of a woman whose body was found on the side of I-70 in 2022 has entered a plea, according to court records.

Monday, Jason Rhea entered an agreement with prosecutors in Marion Superior Court to plead guilty to his lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter, a felony, in the shooting death of 21-year-old Dai’Ghia Hogan.

As part of his agreement, which Marion Superior Judge Jennifer Harrison accepted, the state will drop Rhea's charges of murder and unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon at the time of his sentencing.

Prosecutors are recommending Rhea spend 30 years in the Indiana Department of Correction for his voluntary manslaughter charge and another five years because he has previous firearm-related offenses.

On March 1, 2022, Hogan was found lying in gravel on the side of I-70, roughly a half mile east of German Church Road. Indiana State Police received reports about a person down on the road and shortly after they arrived, pronounced Hogan dead. She had three gunshot wounds to the head.

These 3 sisters only had each other. One died in a crash. The other was found dead on I-70

Court records show Indianapolis police used surveillance footage and ballistic evidence in the case, which led to Rhea’s arrest. Detectives said they were told Hogan frequently stayed at a hotel on the east side of Indianapolis, an account confirmed through the video footage showing Hogan and Rhea leaving a room and entering Rhea’s car about two hours before her body was found.

Using cellphone records, police traced Rhea to his home and were granted a search warrant. The search turned up a gun loaded with two Aguila .380 auto rounds, the same type of casings found near Hogan’s body. A DNA analysis from a swab of the firearm’s muzzle showed “very strong support” of Rhea’s involvement, the affidavit said.

Contact reporter Sarah Nelson at sarah.nelson@indystar.com

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana woman shot 3 times in head. Man accused avoids murder charge