Klamer arraigned on murder charge

YOUNGSTOWN — The Randolph Street man who holed up in his house last week with man shot dead on the kitchen floor was arraigned today in municipal court on a murder charge.

Bond was set at $150,000 for David M. Klamer Jr., 47. He hadn’t posted bond by 1:30 p.m. He will be back in court March 8 for a preliminary hearing.

Still at large is Larese R. Jones, 29, whose last known address was Wampum Drive. A murder warrant was issued for him Monday.

Police said   Jones — who has only one leg — and Richard D. Helms, 43, of Himrod Avenue intended to rob Klamer of cash last Thursday.

Klamer is accused of shooting Helms to death.

City Prosecutor Jay Macejko, in describing why Jones is also charged with murder, said someone is criminally responsible for felony murder when a death occurs as a proximate result of the commission of certain felonies, in this case armed robbery.

“It’s a complicated set of facts but I’m comfortable with charging Mr. Klamer with murder. Whether or not defenses will be available to him at common pleas court is not part of my consideration,” Macejko said last week after charging Klamer. “There’s some suggestion of self defense or mental illness but it’s way too premature to know. He fired a weapon and it resulted in death.”

Capt. Kenneth Centorame, chief of detectives, said a man who described himself as Jones’ attorney called Tuesday and said Jones would turn himself in. “We are still actively seeking Jones,” Centorame said today.

Klamer, who threatened to harm himself after the shooting, was coaxed out of his house by a hostage negotiator. He was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center for evaluation and was released Wednesday to the Mahoning County jail.