Murder charge reduced to manslaughter in deal

The wounded man was slain 10 months later.

YOUNGSTOWN — A man charged with murder in a Jan. 2, 2006, shooting death has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter.

The county prosecutor’s office is recommending a 12-year prison term for John A. Weaver, 30, of Hawthorne Street, who entered his plea Monday before Judge James C. Evans of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

The judge approved the plea agreement between the prosecution and defense.

Weaver was originally charged with killing Arlis R. Casey, 35, of East Florida Avenue, who died on Weaver’s porch after being shot in the head. Casey had gone to confront Weaver about a burglary he believed Weaver had committed earlier that day at the Casey residence, police reports said.

Weaver also was charged with felonious assault in the wounding of Casey’s brother, Waddell, 29, of Stewart Avenue, who was shot in the hand in the same incident, and with burglarizing Arlis Casey’s residence on the same day. Yet another charge alleged Weaver was a felon in illegal possession of a gun.

Waddell Casey, who was expected to testify had Weaver gone to trial, was fatally shot in the head in October 2006 in his living room.

Charles Jones, 30, of Lincoln Park Drive, was charged with murder in that slaying, for which no motive was given.

Besides the voluntary manslaughter charge, Weaver pleaded guilty to being a felon with a gun and burglary and to a firearm specification linked to the Jan 2, 2006, shootings. Martin P. Desmond, assistant county prosecutor, dropped the felonious-assault charge against Weaver.

Weaver could be sent to prison for up to 26 years when he is sentenced at 10 a.m. Sept. 26.