MURDER CASE Suspect in '03 killing surrenders to marshals

The marshals spoke to Gardner's family before he surrendered.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Steve Gardner, 20, charged with murder in the March 22, 2003, shooting of Larry Robbins, has surrendered to U.S. marshals and the city's Street Crimes Unit.
He came to turn himself over to authorities about 10 a.m. Friday at the George V. Voinovich Building.
Gardner, whose last known address was Ford Avenue on the city's North Side, was served with a homicide charge and turned over to Youngstown police for questioning and then placed in Mahoning County jail, authorities said.
Gardner also was wanted on unrelated warrants for arson, drug possession-cocaine, drug possession-marijuana, and a parole violation.
Lt. Robin Lees, police spokesman, said Gardner is accused of killing Robbins, 39, a former Youngstown Pride professional basketball player, whose body was found at about 7 a.m. on a sidewalk in the 400 block of Norwood Avenue. He had been shot once in the back of the head.
Lees said information that came in recently, investigated by city Detective Sgt. John Kelty, led to the arrest.
Aided by family
U.S. marshals spoke to Gardner's family in Cleveland, who then called Gardner. Gardner then called the marshals and agreed to turn himself in, officials said.
The Mahoning County Violent Crimes Task Force and the marshals' fugitive task force cooperated on the investigation. As of late Friday afternoon, Gardner's arraignment in Youngstown Municipal Court had not been scheduled.