Jurors in murder trial to visit scenes

Staff Report

YOUNGSTOWN — The jury that has been selected for the capital murder trial of Antwon Lanier will visit the purported crime scenes today and hear opening statements from the prosecuting and defense lawyers at 9 a.m. Monday.

Lanier is charged in the Aug. 6, 2005, death of Sierra Y. Slaton, whose body was found floating in McKelvey Lake the next day after she died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head.

Lanier, 25, of Mahoning County Jail, is charged with the aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, kidnapping and rape of Slaton, 19, of Vestal Road.

The trial is before Judge John M. Durkin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

The jury is to visit South Side Park off Belleview Avenue under the Interstate 680 bridge. There, the prosecution alleges Lanier, whose DNA was found on Slaton, and his co-defendant, Antonio Jackson, raped Slaton.

The jury will also visit the shoreline of McKelvey Lake off the 600 block of Liberty Road, where Slaton’s body was found.

The prosecution alleges Jackson, 28, of Summer Street, fatally shot Slaton before dumping her body in the lake.

Jackson’s capital murder trial on the same charges ended with Judge Durkin’s declaring a mistrial in March after defense lawyers complained about the failure of the prosecution to provide certain witness statements to the defense before the trial began, as required by evidence discovery rules.

Jackson’s retrial in this case is set to begin Oct. 16.