MERCER COUNTY Teens get separate trials in slaying

Authorities said the two have incriminated each other in the slaying.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
MERCER, Pa. -- Two teens accused of killing a George Junior Republic night security counselor won't be tried together.
James Epstein, Mercer County district attorney, said prosecutors have decided to press the case against Anthony Marchicote, 17, of North Versailles, Pa., and Jeremy Melvin, 16, of McKeesport, Pa., in separate trials.
They are accused of killing Wayne Urey, 43, of Mercer, and stealing his truck to escape from the ungated facility Nov. 10, 2003.
The two had been slated for trial this month but the cases have been pushed back to August and September, respectively, Epstein said. No determination has been made on which teen will go to trial first, he said.
The decision to separate the two is based on incriminating statements they gave to authorities about each other, Epstein said.
They are being tried as adults, but this won't be a death-penalty case, he said, because of the ages of the defendants and the circumstances of the counselor's slaying at the juvenile detention and education facility near Grove City.
Police said the two admitted attacking Urey as part of their escape plan and left him bound and gagged as they fled.
They are both charged with criminal homicide, robbery, theft, conspiracy, aggravated assault and escape.
Court documents show that Machicote and Melvin plotted to escape from George Junior and planned to do it by attacking a night security person and stealing his vehicle.
What happened
Early on Nov. 10, the two attacked Urey in the cottage in which they were living and stole his pickup truck, authorities said.
Testimony at a preliminary hearing for the pair showed they left Urey bound and gagged in a bedroom, and another cottage resident summoned help after they left.
Testimony also showed that Melvin admitted putting a choke hold on Urey. Machicote admitted striking the counselor.
An autopsy showed Urey died of asphyxiation consistent with suffocation and strangulation. He also had multiple rib fractures, injuries to the head, trunk and extremities, fractures to bones in his neck and various contusions and abrasions.
Preliminary hearing testimony showed the two took $3 from Urey's wallet and the keys to his truck, which they drove to Pittsburgh, where they turned themselves in later that day after learning Urey was dead.