Police link attempted suicide to double homicide in Liberty

By Linda Linonis

A police report and an affidavit shed light on the November killings.

LIBERTY — A man who shot himself in the head Wednesday at a Youngstown residence was the intended target when two homicides were committed last November in Liberty Township, a police report and court affidavit reveal.

Semmie Shorter, 38, of 3022 Northgate Drive, “was the intended target ... no question,” said Liberty Police Chief Richard Tisone about information gathered during the investigation.

A Liberty police report filed Nov. 16, 2009, gives insight into the reason behind the Nov. 15, 2009, double homicide of Wilneice L. Green, 28, and her 13-year-old daughter, Ja-Brajasia.

It ties into information in an affidavit submitted Thursday to Trumbull County Common Pleas Court, where three of five people charged with aggravated murder made their initial appearance.

The affidavit, which provides deposition information given by Capt. Toby Meloro and Detective Sgt. Tom Couche of the Liberty police, states their investigation “revealed that a male acquaintance of Wilneice had made sexual contact with a minor child.”

The minor child is related to Denise L. Jackson, 25, and Marquese J. Floyd, 25, both of Youngstown, according to the affidavit. They and Apollonia E. Baker, 25, of Youngstown, appeared in common pleas court, where each was ordered held on $2 million bond. They are in Trumbull County Jail.

Melvin L. Turner, 36, in custody in Baltimore, and James M. Christian, 20, in Trumbull County Jail, also are charged in the case. Turner is expected to be back in Trumbull County within a month.

The police report notes that a 29-year-old Youngstown woman, accompanied by her teenage daughter, filed a police report in reference to a sexual assault (gross sexual imposition) that occurred Nov. 14, 2009, at 3022 Northgate Drive — the home of Wilneice Green and her daughter.

The juvenile, who was friends with Ja-Brajasia, had made plans to have a sleepover Nov. 14 at the Green residence. When the juvenile arrived at 10:30 p.m., Ja-Brajasia was not there, but her mother was. Even so, she ended up staying over, watching movies with other children in the house. The next morning, Nov. 15, the juvenile played with the other children and learned Wilneice Green had left to attend church.

The report states that Shorter, of the 3022 Northgate address, “kissed the juvenile twice on her neck and placed his hands on her buttocks.” Shorter attempted to remove her pants, but the juvenile resisted.

The report states that Shorter moved on top of the juvenile, and she pushed him away. Shorter told the juvenile not to tell anyone what happened.

The juvenile called her grandmother and was picked up by her mother.

Liberty police advised the mother and daughter to call the police if they felt threatened by Shorter.

A Youngstown Police Department report from 5:07 p.m. Wednesday said that Shorter attempted suicide by shooting himself in right temple. The incident occurred in an upstairs bedroom at the home of his sister in the 2300 block of Mount Vernon. She called the police.

Shorter was taken to St. Elizabeth Medical Center, where he was in critical condition Friday. Police were advised that Shorter has a nonsurvivable injury.

Shorter is the father of two children with Wilneice Green, who are with other family. Shorter had recently gone to court for a hearing on custody.

At the time of the murders, police interviewed Shorter several times, but he never admitted the assault. Tisone said the department planned this week to charge Shorter with gross sexual imposition, a fourth-degree felony, because police had obtained evidence. But the department then got news of Shorter’s suicide attempt.

The affidavit said that Jackson went to Floyd’s home Nov. 15 and told him the alleged sex offender had to “pay for what he had done.”

Later that day, Baker picked up Jackson, Turner, Floyd and Christian in Baker’s car. On the way to Northgate Drive, Jackson handed out gloves to Turner, Floyd and Christian and held a gun that she handed to Christian after he was done putting on his gloves, the affidavit said.

Floyd had a handgun, and Turner, also known as “Dreads,” had an AK-47 type assault rifle.

XStaff writer Ed Runyan contributed to this story.