Victims Of The Charleston Tragedy

This appeared on Facebook so I can’t verify that it’s 100% accurate but I think it’s important to put a face on this senseless act of violence.

Those who lost their lives at Emanuel AME Church are:
• Cynthia Hurd, 54, a manager with the Charleston County Public Library system.

• Ethel Lance, 70, a retiree who recently worked as a church janitor

• Rev. Clementa Pinckney, 41, a South Carolina state senator and pastor at the church

• Susie Jackson, 87, a longtime member of the church

• Depayne Middleton Doctor, 49, former Charleston County community development director

• Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, a church pastor, speech therapist and a high school girls’ track coach

• Myra Thompson, 59, a pastor at the church

• Rev. Daniel Simmons, Sr., 74, another pastor at the church

• Tywanza Sanders, 26, a 2014 graduate of Allen University, where Pinckney was also an alum.

Remember their names. And remember the 5-year-old that survived because her grandmother instructed her to play dead.

Charleston Shooter Captured

The FBI has announced that the Charleston shooter has been captured and is in police custody.  Dylann Roof was captured in Shelby, NC according to news sources.  He is accused of killing 9 people, including the church’s Pastor Sen. Clementa Pinckney, during a prayer service at historic Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC Wednesday night.  The shooting is being classified as a hate crime, which is a federal offense.

Suspect Arrested In Hazleton Murder

Just 72 hours after a man was killed on a city street by gun fire, Hazleton police arrested the man they say pulled the trigger.

Officers arrested Raphael Mora-Polanco, 26, Hazleton, while conducting surveillance Sunday in the area of Second and Alter streets, about two blocks away from the shooting that claimed the life of Jorge Marrero, 35, who’s last known address was on South Poplar Street.

Marrero was shot multiple times in the area of Alter and Fourth streets Thursday around 10:30 p.m., police said. He was found by police on West Fourth Street, near Emerald Court, the alley between Alter and Vine streets, with bullet wounds.

Hazleton police Chief Frank DeAndrea labeled the homicide an “execution” due to the circumstances involved.

Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/suspect-arrested-in-hazleton-murder-1.1898205

Hazleton Police Chief: Shooting Death An Execution

A man shot and wounded during an argument amid a group of people at a vacant lot on Alter Street in Hazleton staggered up West Fourth Street in the rain before being shot in the head and killed late Thursday, city police Chief Frank DeAndrea said.

DeAndrea called the killing an execution.

He asks people who saw the incident to call police at 911 if they are in the Hazleton area or 570-459-4940.

Surveillance cameras show the argument occurring in a lot at 590 Alter St., and police circled a trail of bloodstains on the sidewalk and road along Fourth Street to where the victim was found just west of Emerald Court at 10:30 p.m.

Read more: http://standardspeaker.com/news/chief-shooting-death-an-execution-1.1896889

Wilkes-Barre Shooting Victim Spoke Out About Drug House

WILKES-BARRE, PA — A mechanic who frequently reported criminal activity near his home was gunned down in front of his residence on Willow Street early Friday morning.

Neighbors reported hearing multiple gunshots just after 3:30 a.m. in the area of 62 Willow St., where police found the body of 49-year-old Donald Bachman Jr.

Bachman was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:25 a.m. by Luzerne County Deputy Coroner Tom Moran.

An autopsy by forensic pathologist Dr. Mary Pascucci revealed Bachman died of multiple gunshot wounds. His death was ruled a homicide, Moran said.

Read more:  http://www.timesleader.com/news/home_top-local-news/153245723/

Investigation Into Two Deaths In Montgomery Township

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman and Montgomery Township Police Chief Scott Bendig announce the joint investigation into a homicide, which occurred at 806 Karens Court in Montgomery Township.

On Thursday, April, 30, 2015 at 6:47 PM, the Montgomery Township Police Department responded to the 806 Karens Court for a reported disturbance with shots fired. Arriving officers located a gunshot victim, identified as Brienne Francisco, age 36, at the entrance of the residence. The victim was transported by MEDIVAC to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.

The Montgomery County SWAT Central Region Team was deployed due to the potential of a barricaded person inside the residence. Upon entry into the residence, officer’s located a deceased male, age 56, on the first floor. Preliminary investigation has revealed that the male appeared to have sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. A revolver was located next to his body. The identity of the male is being withheld pending family notification.

Investigation has revealed that both Brienne Francisco and the deceased male resided at 806 Karens Court. Autopsies are pending at the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office and Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office.

Man Killed In Wilkes-Barre Shooting

A Wilkes-Barre man was gunned down early Friday morning outside of his home on Willow Street.

Donald Bachman Jr., 49, was shot in front of 62 Willow St. around 3:40 a.m., according to police and the Luzerne County Coroner’s Office. Police said a preliminary investigation indicated a confrontation between Bachman and someone he did not know led to the shooting.

Some neighbors heard multiple gunshots, but didn’t see the confrontation or shooter. Several said Bachman worked nights at the Martz Group and described him as a hardworking mechanic.

Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/man-killed-in-wilkes-barre-shooting-1.1873956

York County Homicide Victim Sami Young Was Stabbed Repeatedly, Coroner’s Office Says

TUESDAY UPDATE:
An autopsy Tuesday morning on the body of 21-year-old Samantha “Sami” Young determined she died of multiple stab wounds, according to the York County Coroner’s Office, which has ruled her death a homicide.

REPORTED MONDAY:

Samantha Young’s former boyfriend was covered in blood when police went to his Wrightsville home Sunday afternoon.

Marcus James Bordelon admitted to officers that he and Young had been in a domestic dispute inside his home Saturday evening, and admitted he “did use a knife to keep her from leaving the residence” about 4 a.m. Sunday, according to charging documents.

Bordelon claimed a large blood stain on his floor came from a cut on his own hand, police said.

Read more:

http://www.yorkdispatch.com/breaking/ci_27950031/police-homicide-victims-body-found-ex-boyfriends-shed

Two Arrested In Death Of Pottstown Man

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman and Pottstown Borough Police Chief F. Richard Drumheller announce the arrest of Richard Collins and Mariah Walton for first degree murder, conspiracy, and related offenses. These arrests are the result of a joint investigation into a homicide, which occurred in the area of Washington and Beech Streets, Pottstown Borough.

On Friday, March 20, 2015 at 11:27 AM, the Pottstown Borough Police Department responded to Washington and Beech Streets for an unresponsive person. The victim, Artie Bradley, age 38, of Pottstown was pronounced dead at the scene. On Saturday, March 21, 2015, an autopsy was performed on the body of Artie Bradley at the Montgomery County Morgue. The autopsy revealed that Bradley died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds. The manner of death was ruled homicide.

The Pottstown Borough Police Department and the Montgomery County Detective Bureau conducted a lengthy investigation, incorporating witness accounts, video surveillance, and various other technological tools they were able to piece together the murder of Artie Bradley. The investigation uncovered an existing relationship between Bradley, Collins and Walton. In the months leading up to Bradley’s murder, Collins and Bradley had a falling out over money.

The soured relationship between Collins, Walton, and Bradley culminated on March 20, 2015 when Collins and Walton were called to assist in an altercation against Bradley’s paramour. This altercation provided Collins and Walton the opportunity to facilitate a confrontation between Collins and Bradley, resulting in Collins fatally shooting the victim, Bradley.

The defendants will be arraigned at Magisterial District Judge Scott Palladino’s Court, which is located at 1 Security Plaza, Suite 101 in Pottstown at 12:30 today.

The cases will be prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Samantha Cauffman.

Deadly 2013 Lands Wilkes-Barre On ‘Murder Capital’ List

WILKES-BARRE, PA — The city’s bloody 2013 has placed it on a list of the Top 30 “Murder Capitals in America.”

The 13 homicides that took place in Wilkes-Barre made for the deadliest year in city history. The city was ranked 18th on the list.

NeighborhoodScout, an information website which compiles data on neighborhoods and cities throughout the country, used FBI numbers on homicides to create a list of cities with the highest murder rates. The report lists Wilkes-Barre as having 12 murders and does not include a case involving an accidental shooting, which the FBI classified as involuntary manslaughter.

The report says that until recently, major cities ranked among the dominating murder capitals, but this list is “populated mostly by middle-sized cities as well as smaller cities in close proximity to larger ones.”

Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/deadly-2013-lands-w-b-on-murder-capital-list-1.1861214

With Crime On Their Minds, Concerned Residents Again Press Wilkes-Barre City Council On Rash Of Violence

WILKES-BARRE, PA — The topic won’t fizzle out.

Another city council meeting saw yet another gauntlet of pleas from concerned citizens about Wilkes-Barre’s recent rash of violence.

Council members spent most of Thursday’s hour-long meeting assuring residents that police and city administration were doing everything within their power to squash a three-week-long crime wave that produced six shootings, two deaths and six other injuries.

Council Chairman Mike Merritt conceded things will get worse before they get better.

Read more:

http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news-news/152836901/Residents-press-council-about-crime

Wilkes-Barre Man Charged With Ransacking Interfaith Heights Apartment After Body Removed

WILKES-BARRE, PA — Dominick Meininger told police he’s no snitch.

Meininger, 19, allegedly admitted to stealing wine and prescription medications from an apartment at Interfaith Heights after the tenant was found dead in the residence on March 10. But Meininger, of East Northampton Street, denied he had stolen jewelry and a television, according to charges filed.

Meininger was arraigned Wednesday by District Judge Martin Kane on charges of burglary, possessing instruments of crime and theft. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $20,000.

The alleged burglary was not the first incident involving Meininger at Interfaith Heights on Coal Street.

Read more:

http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/152813436/

Two Shooting Victims — One Fatal — Found In Plymouth Were Shot In Norristown

NORRISTOWN, PA – A 28-year-old man who was shot in Norristown Monday night was discovered mortally wounded in Plymouth Township, according to a press release issued by the Norristown Police Department and the Montgomery County District Attorney’s office.

Police were called to the 1200 block of Locust Street at 8:52 p.m. and discovered shell casings and other evidence at the scene. Norristown police said two people were shot. The release stated that while police were investigating, the victim was found in Plymouth Township.

Read more:

http://www.timesherald.com/general-news/20150407/two-shooting-victims-x2014-one-fatal-x2014-found-in-plymouth-were-shot-in-norristown

1Killed, 3 Injured In Hill District Shooting

One person died and three were wounded in two shootings Sunday evening in the Hill District, authorities said.

Police at the Zone 2 Station on Centre Avenue heard gunfire from an area near Dinwiddie and Wick streets about 5:20 p.m. and went to investigate, Public Safety spokeswoman Sonya Toler said.

Officers found two men wounded at the scene and another dead with a wound in the torso on nearby Kearney Way, a tiny alley between Dinwiddie and the parking lot of a Shop ‘n Save grocery store.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man who died as Christopher Richardson, 20, of West Oakland.

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/8113177-74/dinwiddie-wick-wounded#ixzz3WYC0WZar
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

Man Found shot To Death In Wilkes-Barre Residence

WILKES-BARRE, PA — Three shootings. Three days. Two dead.

After more than six months without a gunfire-related homicide in Wilkes-Barre, city police investigated three separate shootings this week — two of them hours apart on Friday morning.

Meanwhile, a vigil in support of non-violence is planned for Public Square tonight.

The latest investigation concerns the shooting death of Peter Bielecki Jr., 49, at his home at 70 Carey Ave.

Read more:

http://citizensvoice.com/news/man-found-shot-to-death-in-w-b-residence-1.1858235

Bodies Of Kochu, Gray Found In Ohio River In West Virginia

The hearts of the families of two missing Pittsburgh men were broken Thursday when they learned that bodies recovered from the Ohio River in West Virginia last week were those of their loved ones.

The deaths of Andre Gray, who had been shot to death, and Paul Kochu, who might have drowned, “are not related” and are being investigated separately, city police Cmdr. RaShall Brackney said at a news conference Thursday night.

“I’m thankful to God for bringing my son home,” said Gray’s mother, Victoria Gray-Tillman, as she and other family members stood next to Brackney. “Now I can have closure. … I knew all along the Lord had my son.”

City Public Safety Department spokeswoman Sonya Toler said Hubert Wingate, 30, who has been in the Allegheny County Jail since Feb. 21 on unrelated fugitive from justice charges, has been arrested for the slaying of Gray.

Read more: http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/8057552-74/gray-kochu-death#ixzz3Vb2UTLWV
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

Joint Investigation Being Conducted On Pottstown Homicide

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman and Pottstown Borough Police Chief F. Richard Drumheller announce the joint investigation into a homicide, which occurred outside of residences near Washington and Beech Streets, Pottstown Borough.

On Friday, March 20, 2015 at 11:27 AM, the Pottstown Borough Police Department responded to Washington and Beech Streets for an unresponsive person. The victim, Artie Bradley, age 38 of Pottstown was pronounced dead at the scene.

On Saturday, March 21, 2015 an autopsy was performed on the body of Artie Bradley at the Montgomery County Morgue. The autopsy revealed that Bradley died as a result of multiple gunshots. The manner of death was ruled homicide.

The Pottstown Borough Police Department and the Montgomery County Detective Bureau are investigating this homicide. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Pottstown Police Department at 610 970-6570 or Montgomery County Detective Bureau 610 278-3368

Pottstown Murder Victim Identified

Pottstown, PA – The victim of Friday night’s homicide was identified today as 38-year-old Pottstown man Artie Bradley.

Assistant District Attorney Kevin Steele said that the Montgomery County coroner performed an autopsy Saturday that determined Bradley died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20150323/pottstown-murder-victim-identified

Philadelphia’s Murder Rate At Historic Low: A Look At Why

When Philadelphia’s murder total fell to a historic low in 2013, officials believed it was no fluke.

Now, with 2014 at the same rate – and other violence also down – experts say the city is indeed getting safer.

With 248 slain, the toll is one above last year’s – and a 25 percent drop from 2012. But statistics show police in 2014 solved fewer killings than in 2013.

Overall, violent crime fell 7 percent.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20150103_Phila__s_murder_rate_drops__A_look_at_why.html#zmVkOtUqefw3dcCO.99

Paradise Township Man Charged With Cutting, Axing Wife To Death

A man killed his wife during an argument Christmas Eve, then took their two children to celebrate Christmas at his parents before calling police to confess, police said.

Dustin Lee Klopp, 36, punched Stephanie Kilhefner in the face, cut her throat and bashed her head with an ax at their Paradise Township home about 10 p.m. Wednesday, according to Pennsylvania State Police in Lancaster.

Klopp then tried to clean up the blood and moved Kilhefner’s body to a shed at the property, police said. He called state police about 5:20 p.m. Thursday to tell them he killed Kilhefner and wanted to turn himself in; he arrived at the barracks about 6:30 p.m., according to police.

About 5:30 p.m., a trooper arrived at their property at 623 Georgetown Road and found Kilhefner’s body in a car-carrier bag in the shed.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/news/local/paradise-township-man-charged-with-cutting-axing-wife-to-death/article_e5e1e4d2-8ca9-11e4-8fd0-f7625cc3354c.html