Man, woman indicted on murder charges

She said she felt threatened, so shot the man, police said.

YOUNGSTOWN — Two people were indicted Thursday by a Mahoning County grand jury on murder charges, including a 30-year-old Byron Street woman who told police she shot a 54-year-old man because she felt threatened by him.

LaToya Ingram of 310 Byron St. was indicted on a murder charge with a specification that she committed the offense with a firearm. If convicted on the murder charge, she could face 15 years to life in prison.

Police said they found Ingram inside her home around 2 a.m. with Sherman Moody, 54, of Logan Gate Road, Liberty, dead nearby in a pool of blood.

When officers asked her what happened, Ingram calmly told them, “I shot him. I felt threatened so I shot him.” A gun was found on a table, and Ingram told police the gun was hers. Six spent shell casings were found.

Capt. Kenneth Centorame, chief of detectives, said there were no signs of a struggle and no other gun, drugs or alcohol were found in Ingram’s home. He said some type of argument or disagreement promoted the shooting.

Dana C. Guarnieri, assistant city prosecutor, said neither Ingram nor Moody had a prior criminal record.

Ingram is in the Mahoning County Jail with bond set at $750,000.

Aggravated murder

Indicted on an aggravated murder charge is Keith Tillis, 18, with addresses on Fifth Avenue and North Lakeview Avenue, who is accused of participating in the Nov. 3 murder of Martwain Dill, 23, of West LaClede Avenue.

Tillis is one of four men accused of participating in the killing, which occurred at 11 a.m. at Glenwood and Earle avenues on the city’s South Side. One of the others is Bertrum Moore, 18, of Whitney Avenue, whose trial on a charge of complicity to aggravated murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm is being held this week. Closing arguments in that trial are expected today.

The others accused are Gary Crockett, 29, of Buckeye Circle, and Eric Lewis, 18, of Kenmore Avenue.

In opening statements in Moore’s trial, assistant prosecutor Steve Shandor said Tillis, Lewis and Moore were students together at Life Skills Learning Center on Market Street who left the school together during an early break in classes. After picking up Crockett, the men searched for Dill and killed him, Shandor said.

Tillis is in Mahoning County Jail with bond set at $500,000.