Murder charge declined

The grand jury indicted three men on burglary and kidnapping charges.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- A Mahoning County grand jury has declined to indict Ernestine Gowdy, 44, of 17 E. Auburndale Ave., on a murder charge in the Sept. 15 stabbing death of Katherine Favors, 50, of the same address.
A neighbor said he heard a loud argument in the house and a loud scream before Favors was found dead on a living room couch at that address and police initially charged Gowdy with murder.
County Prosecutor Paul Gains said he doesn't know why the grand jury declined to indict Gowdy on Thursday because the grand jury deliberates in secret with no prosecutors present.
Gowdy told police, however, that Favors lunged at her with a knife, and she grabbed the knife from Favors and stabbed her once, police reports said.
Gowdy said she was acting in self-defense and in defense of her 9-year-old daughter, and physical evidence found during the investigation corroborated Gowdy's version of events, police reports said.
"I'm very upset. Where is the justice?" asked Favors' brother, Mark Young, 40, of West Chalmers Avenue. "You have a very angry family here, a very hurt family," he said after the grand jury reached its decision.
Young said he doesn't understand how Favors, who suffered a stab wound to her right shoulder, which severed an artery, and Gowdy, who had a cut on her right hand, could both have been wounded on their right sides if they were facing each other in the confrontation and Gowdy had acted in self-defense.
Young said laboratory DNA tests are still under way, and he hopes new evidence can be introduced and the grand jury can reconsider the case.
Abduction indictment
The grand jury also indicted three men on aggravated burglary and kidnapping charges in the Oct. 5 abduction of Reginald Young from his Austintown apartment to his brother's residence on East Chalmers Avenue. Indicted were Kilan R. Young, 20, of Jackson Street, Campbell, and Deangelo Young, 31, of East Chalmers Avenue, Reginald's brothers; and Charles E. Allen, 32, of East Philadelphia Avenue. Reginald Young's girlfriend told police he owed money and jewelry to his brothers.
Police said they found the vehicle used in the abduction within 15 minutes of the kidnapping in the driveway at the Chalmers Avenue house, where they arrested the suspects, found the victim unharmed and seized drugs and weapons.
The grand jury indicted Johanna K. Morrison, 49, of Gaither Avenue, on four counts of aggravated arson and two counts of arson for a series of house fires she allegedly set in her neighborhood between April and September. She admitted setting the fires, an arson investigator said.
Morrison was upset with drug dealers, loud music and dogs in her neighborhood and got even by setting the fires, the investigator added.
Others indicted were:
Gary F. Robertson, 58, of Smithfield Street, Struthers, two felony counts of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Kerry Leatherman, 50, of Sheridan Road, aggravated arson.
Michael J. Behanna, 29, of North Brockway Avenue, receiving stolen property.
Oscar Teague, 51, of Mahoning County jail, breaking and entering.
Michael Russell, 34, of Straley Lane, cocaine and heroin possession.
Robert G. Ashford II, 26, of Cooper Street, drug possession and aggravated marijuana trafficking.
Steven Filimon, 20, of Mahoning County jail, cocaine and heroin possession.
Jackie Buchanan, 27, of Mahoning County jail, felonious assault.
Frankie Reese, 56, of Mahoning County jail, cocaine possession and tampering with evidence.
Todd White, 21, of Mahoning County jail, improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle.
Annamarie Cox, 28, of Pasadena Avenue, assault.
Monique Germaine Clinkscale, 31, of Mahoning County jail, complicity to felonious assault.
Courtney Reynolds, 23, of Mahoning County jail, cocaine possession.
Benjamin Richards, 33, of Mahoning County jail, cocaine possession.
Jasmine Molina, 23, of Mathews Road, Boardman, cocaine possession and assault.
Brandon M. Reid, 20, of Mahoning County jail, cocaine possession.
Randy Cline, 53, of Wetmore Drive, Struthers, burglary.
Andre J. Webber, 27, of Mahoning County jail, two counts of robbery.
Thomas L. Gross, 26, of Mahoning County jail, robbery.
Darrell Brown, 24, of Crandall Avenue, four counts of illegal use of food stamps.
Timothy P. Craik Jr., 26, of Fair Avenue, Salem, six counts of illegal processing of drug documents.
Nancy Dorbish, 30, of Oakcrest Drive, Austintown, one count of illegal processing of drug documents.
James J. Centafanti, 27, of Oakcrest Drive, Austintown, one count of illegal processing of drug documents.
Andrea Davidson, 32, of Connecticut Avenue, one count of illegal processing of drug documents.
Kristyn M. Vittorio, 26, of Division Street, one count of illegal processing of drug documents.
Denise L. Karcher, 35, of North Brockway Avenue, one count of illegal processing of drug documents.
Robert J. Garber III, 29, of Division Street, one count of illegal processing of drug documents.
Richard Rigby, 51, of Allendale Avenue, Austintown, one count of cocaine possession and four counts of cocaine trafficking.