City man arraigned in slaying

The victim was beaten to death with a bar stool.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Susan Palumbo looked relieved.
The man police believed killed her husband, Daniel, 14 months ago is finally charged with the crime.
"Thank God. It took a long time," she said shortly after Michael Roberts' arraignment Monday before District Justice Melissa Amodie.
Roberts, 26, of Lathrop Street, just shook his head as police led him to the front of the courtroom after the arraignment.
He is charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault and simple assault in Daniel Palumbo's death in March 2005.
Palumbo was found bludgeoned by a bar stool in his East Long Avenue basement. He died the next day at St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown. According to the affidavit filed to support the charges, three people told police that Roberts told them about the killing.
What police learned
One man said he ran into Roberts in October 2005, and Roberts started telling him that he "tied up" and "offed" Palumbo, according to court papers.
Another man told police that Roberts told him that Roberts and another man went to burglarize Palumbo's home because they heard he had OxyContin pills, authorities said. Roberts said Palumbo was in the basement and surprised him as he was searching for the pills, according to court records.
The informant told police that Roberts said he hit Palumbo with a ball peen hammer. According to court papers, the informant contends that Roberts took $20,000 in cash and 100 OxyContin pills from Palumbo's home.
Another informant told police that he saw Roberts a few days after the murder, and Roberts had scratches on his face and hands. Several weeks later, the informant spoke to Roberts again, and Roberts told the man that he was hiding because police were after him for Palumbo's murder, court documents stated.
The informant told Roberts that a third person was telling others that Roberts shot Palumbo. Roberts replied: "I didn't shoot Palumbo; I killed him with a bar stool," according to court papers.
What was withheld
The informant said that he was surprised because everyone thought Palumbo was shot in the head. Police said it's significant because they never made public that Palumbo was assaulted with a bar stool.
Police noted in court papers that Roberts has no alibi for the time of the killing, which was sometime between 11 and 11:30 a.m. March 25, 2005.
Roberts, who was already in jail on a bond revocation from a previous drug charge, is being held without bail. His preliminary hearing is set for 11 a.m. May 30 in Lawrence County Central Court.
District Attorney John Bongivengo said his office had offered a reward for information leading to Palumbo's killer. He said they won't be paying it out because police were able to solve it through investigation.
"I'm glad it's finally -- in our minds -- solved," Bongivengo said.
cioffi@vindy.com