Trial set in September for man accused of killing Army private

YOUNGSTOWN — When the Donnie R. Reed murder trial gets under way in about two months, Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court expects it to be completed efficiently.

Reed, 49, of Burkey Road in Austintown, is accused of murder in the shooting death of Army Pvt. Randy Davis, 22, of Boardman and Youngstown.

Davis died of a gunshot wound to the forehead from a World War II-era .45-caliber handgun in Reed’s home April 4, 2008.

During a hearing this week at which time the trial was moved from this Monday to Sept. 29, Kenneth Cardinal, an assistant county prosecutor, mentioned that he was likely to call 24 to 25 witnesses.

That sounded like too many to Judge Krichhbaum, who said he couldn’t understand why a case that involved several people in a home where one man shot another required such a long witness list.

He advised Cardinal to “streamline” that list.

Cardinal explained that investigators had talked to a number of witnesses who had information about Reed’s statements and actions before the shooting.

If convicted on the charge, Reed faces a prison sentence of 15 years to life.

For the complete story, see Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com.