MAHONING COUNTY 3 Youngstown residents face charges in '02 killing

The victim was found in an upstairs bedroom, shot twice in the head.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Information gleaned from a recent murder investigation has led authorities to suspects in an unrelated homicide in September 2002.
Donteill M. Grant, 24, of Youngstown was arraigned Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on charges of aggravated murder and aggravated robbery. He pleaded innocent, and Judge R. Scott Krichbaum ordered him to be held in county jail without bond.
The case is assigned to Judge James C. Evans.
Grant, who is imprisoned on unrelated drug and weapon violations, was secretly indicted by a county grand jury last month.
The grand jury also secretly indicted Kevin Anderson, 20, of Mabel Street and East Glenaven Avenue on a charge of conspiracy to commit aggravated murder and Tamika F. Lightning, 23, of Parkview Avenue on charges of aggravated murder, aggravated robbery with a gun specification and conspiracy to commit aggravated murder.
Both were arrested Tuesday.
About the case
The indictments stem from the Sept. 21, 2002, shooting death of 57-year-old Jefferson Smith Sr. at Smith's Parkview Avenue home. Police found Smith lying on a bed in an upstairs bedroom.
Jay Macejko, assistant prosecutor, said police found a pillow over Smith's face and it appeared that he had been shot through the pillow. Smith sustained two gunshot wounds to his head.
Police reports say Smith was wearing gray sweat pants and no shirt when he was found by his daughter. She had gone to check on him after becoming concerned when he did not answer his telephone.
"It was just a cold case," Macejko said of why it took so long to secure the indictments. "There were no eyewitnesses and no one was coming forward with any information."
He said the investigation stalled until police began looking into another homicide that happened recently. One of the suspects in the newer case provided police with information about who is accused of shooting Smith, and that's what led to the indictments, Macejko said.
He would not say which recent case sparked the information that may have helped crack the Smith homicide.
Macejko said Smith's shooting appears to have been drug-related.
bjackson@vindy.com