A Valparaiso teen charged in the murder of two Lake County teenagers faces additional felony charges of intimidation for allegedly threatening to kill an informant to whom he confessed his crimes, and arson, for allegedly burning the victims’ car, according to court documents.

Connor Kerner, 18, of the 100 block of Kinsale, was 17 when the alleged crimes took place in late February. He was taken into custody in early March in the deaths of Molley Lanham, 19, of St. John, and Thomas Grill, 18, of Cedar Lake. Both were 2018 graduates of Hanover Central High School.

Kerner, who pleaded not guilty to the initial charges of two felony murder counts and was charged as an adult because of the nature of the crimes, remains in Porter County Jail without bond. His next court hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. July 15 before Porter Superior Court Judge Roger Bradford.

The basis for the intimidation charge, according to court documents, was threats Kerner reportedly made to an informant after telling her about the murders.

On Feb. 25, the day Lanham and Grill disappeared, Kerner told a confidential informant who later contacted police that he had done something “really bad,” according to the charging documents.

“I killed someone and I killed an innocent girl,” Kerner allegedly said.

Kerner allegedly told the informant that if she told anyone about the murders, he would kill her and her family.

According to court documents, the arson charge stems from Connor burning a black 2012 Honda Civic EX that belonged to Lanham’s stepfather.

Investigators found the bodies of Lanham and Grill in the burned-out car in a wooded area outside of Hebron. St. John police had said the pair was last seen in the car when they went missing.

Grill was allegedly meeting Kerner at the home of Kerner’s relatives, in the 200 West block of County Road 700 South in Hebron, while they were out of town, for a drug deal, according to court documents. Lanham drove them to the site in the Civic.

Kerner told the informant that Grill tried to rob him and when Grill turned around, Kerner allegedly shot at Grill, missing twice before he shot him, according to court documents.

“Grill fell to the ground and was begging for his life. Kerner advised that he panicked due to being out of bullets in the gun,” according to the charging documents. “Kerner then beat him with a pipe wrench until he died.”

Kerner then allegedly went outside to the Honda Civic where Lanham was and had her come into the garage, according to court documents. Kerner showed her Grill’s body and informed her that he was going to let her go, but if she told, he would kill her, according to court documents.

“Kerner advised that when she turned to leave the garage, Kerner shot her in the head, killing her,” according to the document.

Later, he allegedly loaded Lanham’s and Grill’s bodies into the car and drove it about 2 miles away, an area he later showed the informant, who told police it was off of County Road 600 South, according to court documents.

He told the informant he loaded the car with three propane cylinders and four bottles of “tiki” fluid and other types of flammable substances, and then set the car and bodies on fire before walking through the woods back to his relatives’ home.

Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter.