Suspect pleads innocent by reason of insanity

Charges so far relate to the theft of weapons from the victim’s house.

STAFF REPORT

WARREN — Christopher Moore, the man police believe killed David Petrosky last month, will receive a psychiatric evaluation before his next hearing in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

Moore, 31, of Roosevelt Street Northwest, pleaded innocent by reason of insanity to five charges earlier this month in the Nov. 10 shooting of Petrosky, 55, of Hall Street.

But Chris Becker, an assistant county prosecutor, said Petrosky’s death, on Nov. 21, would likely produce at least one additional charge when the county grand jury reconvenes.

When Moore and his attorney, Roger Bauer, appeared Tuesday for a pretrial hearing before Judge Andrew Logan, Judge Logan set Moore’s next hearing for Jan. 20 — after the District 11 Forensic Psychiatric Center of Northeast Ohio in Youngstown evaluates him.

Bauer filed a motion asking for the competency evaluation last Wednesday and asked that Moore be removed from suicide watch at the Trumbull County Jail last Friday.

Moore has been in the jail in lieu of $1 million bond since the day of the shooting.

Moore called police at 8:41 a.m. Nov. 10 to report that Petrosky had been shot in the head and might be dead.

Moore lived one block over from Petrosky and had been a childhood friend of one of Petrosky’s sons. Members of Petrosky’s family said David Petrosky helped Moore several times over the years, giving him small amounts of money and food.

Family members suspect Moore killed Petrosky in an attempt to secure a gun from Petrosky to protect himself from other people with whom Moore was in conflict.

Moore’s charges so far relate to the theft of two guns from Petrosky’s house — the one that killed the Copperweld Steel retiree and a rifle.