LIBERTY KILLING 2 face arraignment in man's 2001 murder

Wayne Gilliam was free on $5,000 bond at the time of the murder.
By IAN HILL
and SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITERS
LIBERTY -- Two men are expected to be arraigned early next week in the 2001 murder of a Madison Avenue man.
Daryl Brown, 48, of Nelson Avenue, Youngstown, and Wayne Gilliam, 21, of the Lorain County Correctional Institute, formerly of East Avondale Avenue, Youngstown, are each charged with aggravated murder.
Brown and Gilliam are accused by Liberty police of killing Niles J. Emmert, 25, during a drug-related robbery March 15, 2001, at Emmert's Madison Avenue apartment. The weapon was an assault rifle
Arrested, served
Brown was arrested Friday afternoon on the North Side by Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force members; he's now being held without bond in Trumbull County jail.
Gilliam was served with the charges Friday in the prison, where he's serving a sentence of 54 years to life for the murder of a 3-month-old boy on the East Side.
Liberty Police Chief Anthony Slifka said he expected Brown and Gilliam to be arraigned Monday or Tuesday. He noted that investigators are looking for other suspects tied to the murder.
At the time of Emmert's killing, Gilliam was free on $5,000 bond after being charged in the drive-by shooting death of Anton Flint, 18, of Forest View Avenue. Flint's mother and Youngstown Mayor George McKelvey had criticized Municipal Judge Robert Douglas Jr. for setting what they said was a low bond.
The charges were later dropped when a grand jury declined to indict Gilliam.
Police give scenario
Slifka said police believe Brown and Gilliam were trying to steal drugs or money tied to drugs when they broke into Emmert's apartment. He said $98,000 was later confiscated from the apartment.
"They were there to rob him," Slifka said.
Emmert's body had multiple gunshot wounds. His girlfriend was in the apartment at the time of the shooting but was not hurt.
Slifka said investigators later found the assault rifle in a pond. He would not say where the pond is.
Slifka noted that Liberty police worked closely with federal and Mahoning County law enforcement officials during the investigation, interviewing several informants, including some from out of state.
"We just started putting the pieces together," he said.
Baby's slaying
Gilliam was convicted of several charges in August for the March murder of 3-month-old Jiyen Dent Jr. on Rutledge Drive. Prosecutors said Gilliam waited in a car for John Drummond while Drummond fired an assault rifle into the Rutledge Drive home. Jiyen was struck in the head while he sat in his baby swing.
Drummond and Gilliam then drove away, prosecutors said. Drummond is set to face the death penalty in the slaying at trial in January.
Gilliam also had been charged with trafficking in drugs in 2001, but the charges were dropped when he agreed to testify against his co-defendant.
Emmert had been in trouble with police since 1996, and he had been convicted on drug charges three times.
hill@vindy.com