Jury sees drive-by homicide site

YOUNGSTOWN — A jury viewed the scene of a drive-by homicide and heard opening statements Thursday in the trial of Jonathan L. Clay, 24, of Winona Avenue, in the June 26 shooting death of Terrance E. Brown, 27, of South Truesdale Avenue.

Clay’s trial on an aggravated-murder charge with a firearm specification is before Judge James C. Evans of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. Clay was arrested in July in a house in East Liverpool.

Brown was fatally shot in the head from an SUV as he tried to escape the gunfire by entering his sister’s apartment in the 1400 block of Woodcrest Avenue on the East Side.

A witness said the gunfire erupted after someone in a group of men standing on steps near the apartment lobbed a glass bottle at the passing SUV.

Police said Brown, who had no criminal record, had no obvious reason to be a target of a shooting.

The case is being prosecuted by Martin P. Desmond, assistant county prosecutor. Douglas Taylor is the defense lawyer.