Murder indictment added in Lake Milton stabbing

YOUNGSTOWN — A 21-year-old Lake Milton man has been indicted on a new charge of murder in the Feb. 7 stabbing death of another man on Mahoning Avenue in Lake Milton.

In a superseding indictment returned by the Mahoning County grand jury Thursday, a murder charge was added to the voluntary manslaughter and evidence tampering charges Edward A. Miller Jr. was already facing in the original indictment.

Miller, of Roselawn Drive, was charged with killing Eric E. Showalter, 28, of Diamond, who died of a single knife wound to the chest. Miller and Showalter had a long-standing dislike for each other, police said.

Martin P. Desmond, assistant county prosecutor, declined to comment on new evidence supporting the additional charge of murder, which alleges Miller purposely killed Showalter. The manslaughter charge says Miller killed Showalter in a sudden fit of rage caused by serious provocation from Showalter.

The evidence tampering charge alleges Miller concealed the knife from authorities by throwing it into a trash receptacle.

Showalter and Miller agreed to meet across Mahoning Avenue from El Carlos Mexican Restaurant to fight at 9 p.m. at the end of Miller’s shift as a chef and bus boy, police said.

Miller emerged from the eatery with a restaurant-owned knife, which he wasn’t authorized to take, police said.

Showalter arrived with a 2-foot club, apparently made from a wooden hatchet handle, which was used in the fight, police said.

Miller is on electronically monitored house arrest under $7,500 bond pending his trial in the courtroom of Judge James C. Evans of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.