S. Side man pleads guilty to lesser charge in killing

Prosecutors said the fatal shooting did not fit the definition of murder.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Donni L. Feagin faces a sentence from probation to one to five years in prison for the July 28 fatal shooting of his stepfather.
Feagin, 21, of Hilton Avenue, was charged with murder in the death of John T. Bowers, 49. Reports show Bowers had been living in Liberty.
Feagin appeared Wednesday with his lawyer Al Palombaro in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court and pleaded guilty to reckless homicide, a third-degree felony. Sentencing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Dec. 13 before Judge R. Scott Krichbaum.
Prosecutors said they agreed to a bill of information on the reckless-homicide charge rather than pursue a grand jury indictment against Feagin for murder.
A bill of information contains the offense against a defendant and is filed by the prosecutor with the court if the defendant waives his or her right, in writing, to prosecution by indictment.
Prosecutors said the only witnesses to the shooting were Feagin's mother and two brothers, and the circumstances did not fit the definition of murder as "the purposeful killing of another."
What took place
Police said Bowers was shot in the abdomen about 12:15 a.m. July 28 during a domestic fight with his estranged wife, Maria Bowers, at 262 Hilton on the city's South Side. Bowers died at 4:04 a.m. in St. Elizabeth Health Center.
Palombaro told Judge Krichbaum that Feagin arrived at his home the night of the shooting to find Bowers in a domestic quarrel with Feagin's mother. He said Feagin does not remember pulling the trigger, but that there was a gun in the house and Bowers came after him when he tried to protect his mother.
Palombaro said Feagin tried to revive Bowers and went next door to get a neighbor, who is a nurse. He said Feagin surrendered to police.
Feagin is a veteran who was honorably discharged from the military, Palombaro said. He said Bowers was a large man -- more than 6 feet tall and weighing more than 300 pounds -- and was abusive. He had a history of severe physical violence against Feagin's mother and other family members, the lawyer added.
Palombaro said Bowers went to the house that night with the intent to be deceptive or do harm because he drove a car that was not his own and parked down the street rather than in front of the house.
tullis@vindy.com